Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past
by Assassin master ezio 91
Summary: Hope Estheim's life is turned upside down when he meets the newest student in his school, Lightning Farron, but Lightning is hiding a secret that haunts her, a secret she'd rather never resurfaced. Lightning/Hope Snow/Serah Fang/Vanille.
1. New Arrival

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 1 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: New Arrival<strong>

"_We are now approaching Bodhum Central Station; we will arrive at 08:41 AM, Eden Standard Time!_

The young, five foot nothing, teenage boy sitting on the train sighed as he heard the announcement. The boy's named was Hope Estheim, Hope was fifteen years old and a Freshman in High school, he had short messy silver hair, fair skin and light blue-green eyes. He was currently dressed in a simple pair of black jeans, a dark grey T-shirt, his favourite green neckerchief and a black jacket as well as black socks and simple black and white trainers. Hope was currently sitting on the train which would take him from his home in Palumpolum to his school in Bodhum, as usual he was not looking forward to it, he never did. He was distracted from his musing because at that moment he saw two of his friends approach him, both were female one was sixteen the other eighteen making them a Sophomore and a Senior respectively. The Sophomores name was Vanille Dia and the Senior was Fang Yun. Vanille was five foot three and had long bright red hair which she wore in two curled pigtails, smooth tan skin and bright green eyes. She was currently dressed in a pair of denim jeans, a white tank top with lace edging and silver flats; she also wore silver hoop earrings on both ears. Fang was the tallest of the three at five foot nine, she had long wavy dark brown hair, a small section of it braided behind her left ear, her skin had a deeper tan than Vanille's and her piercing green eyes really stood out. She also had a small beauty mark beneath her right eye, she was also dressed casually in a pair of fashionably ripped jeans, a black tank-top with a black leather jacket over it as well as black knee high boots, she also wore purple, claw shaped earring. Vanille smiled and sat down on the seat next to Hope, Fang stood in front of them, resting her arms on the railing of the luggage rack.

Vanille gave Hope a cheerful smile and he smiled back, but it was forced, cheerful was the last thing he'd be feeling at the moment, Vanille however noticed this.

"Hope, are you okay?" She asked concerned.

Hope just shrugged and Vanille shook her head.

"Having a bad day already huh?" She continued to question him. Hope sighed and then nodded, "Yeah".

Vanille and Fang shook their heads smiling, they knew why Hope was so grouchy, it was obvious that last night all he had done was study.

"You know, it's really not good for you to study so much, you need to have fun once in a while" Vanille stated in a matter of fact tone.

"Really, I'm not so sure" Hope replied, Fang smirked and shook her head, "Trust us kid".

Hope looked up at the older woman as she continued.

"Listen, having fun is good for you, look at me and Vanille; we're happy and had a great night's sleep" Fang stated. "All because we had _lots_ of fun last night", she added tipping Vanille a saucy wink.

Vanille blushed and lowered her head, Hope rolled his eyes. Much to the disappointment of many, especially the jocks at school, Fang and Vanille were off the dating list for two reasons, firstly, they weren't into guys and second and most importantly, they were seriously into each other and had been dating for a year now. Fang had, had a crush on Vanille ever since Fang had been a Sophomore, but it wasn't until the following year that they stared dating as Vanille was confused and uncertain about her orientation. While they were now happily together Hope just wished Fang didn't make such suggestive comments in public, apparently Vanille felt the same way.

"Fang, what have we said about discussing our…_love_ life in public?" a mortified Vanille asked, Fang laughed and shook her head. The train then slowed down and finally stopped, the automated female voice came over the PA system again.

"_We have now arrived at Bodhum Central Station; the time is 08:41 AM, Eden Standard Time"._

Fang smiled and straightened up, the other two stood and together they all got off the train and began the walk to school, Fang and Vanille holding hands, their fingers intertwined, unaware they were about to have an encounter that would change their lives forever.

At the same time as the train arrived at the station a car drove along the road towards the school, sitting inside were three individuals. The first was a sixteen year old Sophomore called Serah Farron, she was sixteen and was five foot five with fair skin, she had long pink hair which she tied in a ponytail on the left hand side and soft blue eyes. She was dressed in a simple black skirt along with white tights, black flats and a simple white shirt. She was sitting in the front passenger seat; the driver of the car was her seventeen year old boyfriend, Snow Villiers, a Junior. Snow had medium length blonde hair and a stubble beard, light blue eyes and stood at six foot seven inches tall with fair skin, he was dressed in a simple pair of denim jeans, a white T-shirt with a red decorative logo on it, black boots and a black bandana. The final occupant was the most mysterious, Serah's seventeen year old sister who was known and called by everybody she knew, including Serah, as Lighting. Lightning was slightly paler than her sister yet she had the same hair colour although Lightning's hair naturally fell to the left without the ponytail. Lighting also had aqua coloured eyes and was five foot seven inches tall, she was dressed in black jeans, a simple black T-shirt, dark grey hooded sweatshirt and brown boots. Ever since three years ago Lightning had dropped out of school for an unknown reason, not even Serah knew. She had been home-schooled but Serah thought socialization in a school environment would help Lightning with her lack of social skills. So at Serah's request Lightning was coming along to enlist at Bodhum High School as a Junior, she wasn't looking forward to it, she sat in the back seat, staring blankly out of the window of Snow's car, her arms folded across her chest.

Serah smiled as she looked back at her sister.

"Cheer up Light, I'm sure you'll have fun", Serah claimed, Lightning merely rolled her eyes.

"I really doubt that Serah" She responded in a dismissive tone.

Snow laughed at the exchange and glanced at Lightning in the rear view mirror briefly before turning his attention back to the road.

"You know, Serah's right, it'll be good for you make some friends, I can introduce to some people". Snow offered.

"What, like your friends from NORA, no thanks" Lightning scoffed, Snow rolled his eyes and continued to drive.

The rest of the journey continued in silence and finally they arrived, Snow parked the car and they got out.

"Okay, let's go Light, I'll show you where the main office is", Serah said, Lightning nodded and followed her, despite knowing he would be late for class Snow tagged along too.

They headed into the building, it was huge, Lightning knew however that once she had been to a class once she wouldn't get lost. Finally they arrived at the main office; one of the women who worked there looked up as they walked in.

"Serah Farron, Snow Villiers, what are you two doing here, not in trouble I hope" the office worker stated with a smirk.

"No ma'am" Serah answered politely before explaining. "My sister's just started today and we're here to help her enlist".

The woman noticed Lightning for the first time and smiled.

"Very well, if you could just fill these forms in, Miss…" The woman asked, trailing off at the end, Lightning sighed and answered "Lightning, that's what everyone calls me".

If the woman was surprised at the name, the only indication she gave of it was her raised eyebrows. Lightning sat down at the desk, the woman placed the forms in front of her and handed her a pen, Lightning then began to fill them in.

Finally, after Lightning finished she handed the forms back, the woman looked them over and then eventually Lightning was presented with her schedule. She read it over, it ran as follows.

English

History

Physics

Lunch

Maths

Biology

Gym

Lightning thanked the woman as Serah looked over her schedule.

"Cool, Light we've got English, Maths and Biology together" Serah exclaimed, she continued explaining as they left the office, Serah was going to guide Lightning to the English class. "Snow's in our English and Maths class too".

"Great" Lightning responded blankly.

They headed for English and arrived ten minutes late, the teacher looked up as they came in and glared.

"Serah Farron, Snow Villiers, you're late!" He barked at them. Snow shook his head, Serah on the other hand politely explained.

"I'm sorry sir, my sister just transferred here today and we were helping her enlist" She explained, the teacher's expression softened as he noticed Lightning.

"Very well, take your seats, now then Miss…" He asked.

"Lightning, Lightning Farron" Lightning answered, he nodded and handed her the books she would required for the class and directed her to sit next to Serah.

As she sat Lightning realized her prediction was right, this was going to be a long, boring day.

Throughout English the teacher gave a long-winded boring lecture to which Lightning listen with only half her mind, yet still taking excellent notes, the other half of her mind was occupied with thoughts she kept to herself. Finally English was over, as it was on the way to his next class Snow showed Lightning the way to History. Lightning entered the class and approached the teacher's desk. The old woman looked up.

"Can I help you miss?" She asked politely.

"Yeah, my name's Lightning Farron, I just transferred here" Lightning explained and the teacher smiled.

"Ah yes of course, here you go" The teacher responded, giving Lightning everything she'd need for the class before speaking again. "Just sit anywhere I don't mind".

Happy with that Lightning sat at the empty desk at the back of the class, ignoring the eyes that were following her. She shook her head at some of the males staring at her; it was obvious they were undressing her with their eyes, too bad for them she wasn't the least bit interested in any of them.

'_Narcissistic pigs'. _She thought bitterly.

The class continued as normal, Lightning ignoring the whispers that were flying around, knowing they were mostly about her. Although one she couldn't help overhearing.

"That's Serah Farron's sister?" One of the students asked another, confused.

"Must be, they do look alike" Was the reply.

Lightning rolled her eyes at that.

'_They think Serah and I look alike, okay we've both got Mom's hair colour and Serah even got Mom's eyes but I've got too much of Dad in me to look like Serah'._

She shook her head and focused on what the teacher was saying. Finally, during the last ten minutes of the class the teacher allowed them to talk. Lightning sighed and began staring out of the window. Just then a shadow fell across the desk, she looked around to see two boys, both Juniors, standing their smirking at her, the first one had short rather messy dark hair and black eyes as well as finely tanned skin, the second was also tan, had short neat blonde hair and blue eyes, both were dressed in typical jock fashion, good jeans and T-shirts as well as Football Jerseys.

"What?" She spat out, angry that they had interrupted her musings.

"Hey, since you're new here, how about I show around huh?" One of them offered in what he must've though was a suave seductive voice, Lightning was not impressed.

"I'd rather be set on fire" She responded coldly.

They both looked at her shocked, as if they couldn't believe she had turned them down, the second one tried to speak.

"Look-" he began.

"I'm not interested and I'll never be interested now get lost" She cut across him, her anger showing now.

They sighed and the second one walked away, the first however remained standing there.

"My name is Hiroshi Arikado". He said, smiling.

"Good for you" Lightning replied, rolling her eyes.

Hiroshi glared; this wasn't going as he planned.

"Look, _Lightning_ Farron, you obviously don't get it" Hiroshi said irritably before explaining what he meant. "I'm Hiroshi Arikado, the coolest best looking student in the school, I get whichever girl I want, those are the rules".

"Well if you want me, too bad, I'm not interested in stuck up obnoxious jocks like you" Lightning replied nonchalantly.

Hiroshi sighed and then leaned in closer.

"Listen Lightning, I don't care what you think, I want you and I will have you before this year's out, got it" He growled at her before leaving.

Lightning rolled her eyes, not in the least bit intimidated.

'_Idiot, he obviously needs to be brought down a peg or two'_ She thought darkly as the bell rang.

When she left the class however she realized she had no way of knowing how to get to her next class, the physics class. She groaned and began to walk down the hallway when suddenly she collided with someone, knocking them both down. Lightning quickly stood up and observed the person she had knocked down, it was a boy about fifteen with short messy silver hair and blue eyes, he looked up at her surprised before standing up.

"I-I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going" He stammered nervously.

"No, it was my fault, I'm the one who wasn't paying attention" Lightning stated.

The boy looked at her and noticed her lost expression.

"Um, are you new here" He asked awkwardly.

"Yeah, why" She replied, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Well, it's just…you look kinda lost, maybe I can, help" He continued.

Lightning didn't reply for a moment, she was thinking, finally she relented.

"I need to get to the Physics class" She explained, the boy smiled.

"I can show you, that's a joint class, Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors, I'm in that class too" He explained.

Lightning nodded her thanks and followed the boy to the Physics class. Deciding to at least make an effort at socializing, and for Serah's sake, Lightning decided to introduce herself, besides she felt she could trust this boy. He was different from Hiroshi and his friend.

"I'm Lightning, Lightning Farron" She said.

"Farron, do you know Serah?" He asked, surprised, Lightning was surprised too.

"She's my sister, how do you know her?" Lightning asked, the boy smiled and explained. "She's one of my friends".

Lightning nodded and then asked.

"So, what's you're name?" They boy smiled and introduced himself.

"Hope, Hope Estheim".

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	2. The Day Continues

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 2 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**angstie-lightning: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, here's chapter 2 :) Good luck with your own story :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Day Continues<strong>

As they walked Hope awkwardly tried to engage Lightning in conversation.

"So um…" He began and then finally managed to ask "Why'd you decide to come to Bodhum High School".

Lightning sighed and explained "Serah. I've been…home-schooled for the past two years, Serah felt socialization with others would be good for me, so, here I am".

"Oh" Hope articulated, unable to come up with a coherent response.

They were silent all the way to the Physics class, they had arrived early so the rest of the class was waiting outside, Lightning groaned inwardly when she saw one of them was Hiroshi. Hiroshi looked up and smirked.

"Well, well, what do we have here" He said cockily, "Just what do you think you're doin' Estheim, trying to muscle in on the new girl huh?"

Hope blushed scarlet and lowered his head while the others laughed, except one, Lightning noticed. The one who wasn't laughing was a boy around the same height as Hope, however he looked to be the same age as Lightning, he had fair skin, short spiky blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed casually in a simple jeans and T-shirt combination. Lightning was jolted out of her reverie when she noticed Hiroshi getting in Hope's face.

"Listen Estheim" He growled "You stay away from my girl, understand".

"Excuse me?" Lightning burst out angrily, "I already told you, I'm not the least bit interested in you, so I'm not 'Your girl'".

Hiroshi shook his head and smirked "You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what I could offer you", he said, the cockiness back in his voice.

'_Okay, he's asked for this'_ Lightning thought before a small smile appeared on her lips "Sorry, I don't date guys whose I.Q. is less than their shoe size".

There was a collective gasp after Lightning made this remark and she realized what she had done obviously wasn't within Hiroshi's 'rules' which seemed to dominate the students.

'_Good, maybe now he'll realize not everyone will lie down and take his crap'_ She thought bitterly.

Any comment Hiroshi was about to make was interrupted by the teacher arriving.

As the students began to enter Hiroshi however decided to extract a small measure of revenge by tripping Hope with his foot, fortunately, although Hope did trip, Lightning's amazingly quick reflexes kicked in and she caught him before he hit the floor.

"Uh, thanks" Hope said, now even more embarrassed and red-faced than before.

"It's fine, don't mention it" Lighting replied, glaring at Hiroshi as he walked over to his seat.

After the usual formality of introducing herself to the teacher, Lightning ended up sitting next to Hope, as they sat listening to the teacher, Hope glanced sideways at the pink haired young lady sitting next to him.

'_Wow, she's amazing, I never thought I'd meet anyone who'd dare stand up to Hiroshi'_ He thought in awe, _"No one except Snow, but he doesn't count, he doesn't use his brain, Lightning did'._

As the lesson continued he pondered more on the mystery that was Lighting Farron.

'_Lightning, obviously not her real name, what is her real name?' _He wondered.

"Hope?" Lightning's voice jolted him out of his thoughts.

"Y-yeah?" He asked, confused.

"You okay? You were kinda spaced out". She replied, looking at him oddly.

"I'm fine, it's nothing" He replied, not wanting her to know he was thinking about her.

Lightning nodded and they continued to work through the lesson, towards the end Hope chanced another sideways glance and once again was lost in thought.

'_She's so beautiful too, her hair, those eyes' _He quickly stopped himself '_What am I thinking, I've only just met her, besides…She's way outta my league…Every girl is'._

This time it was the bell that dragged him out of his self-pitying thoughts. This time, as they left the classroom, Hope was able to dodge Hiroshi, thanks to Lightning's sharp eyes; he then showed her the route to the lunch hall.

They entered the lunch hall and almost immediately Lightning spotted Serah waving at her, Hope saw her too and they both walked over, when they reached the table Lighting sat in between Serah and a girl who was turned away from her, Lightning had a weird feeling that she was playing footsie with the girl opposite her. Hope sat opposite Lightning, between Snow and another giant of a man who was obviously a Senior and thus eighteen with spiky red hair and brown eyes as well as tan skin. Like everyone his clothing was casual and consisted of jeans and a T-shirt although his T-shirt didn't do enough to hide the young man's barrel chest. Sitting between the two giants Hope looked even shorter than five foot nothing. Serah smiled at her sister.

"I see you've already met Hope" She said smiling.

"Yeah" Lightning replied, knowing that Serah was about to introduce her to the rest of the group.

Serah smiled and indicated the other giant.

"Well, this is Gadot, one of Snow's friends" She said, Gadot smiled and waved in greeting.

Serah then indicated the next group of three who, along with Gadot, Lightning realized were members of Snow's group NORA. She also realized she recognized one, the blonde that hadn't laughed when Hiroshi had been bullying Hope. It turned out his name was Maqui and the other two were Yuj, a seventeen year old male with brown eyes, fair skin and shoulder length blue hair, and Lebreau, a female, also seventeen. Lebreau had tan skin, shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes. Serah then indicated the girl who was on the receiving end of the game of footsie being played under the table.

"This is Vanille" Serah said, still smiling, Vanille also smiled and looked over at Lighting waving with a cheerful "Hi there" before returning her attention to the other girl who Serah then introduced.

"Last but not least, this is Fang, everyone this is my sister, Lighting". Serah explained smiling.

Only Hope however noticed something strange, as they were both introduced, Lightning and Fang locked eyes as Fang turned around, there seemed to be signs of recognition before Fang returned her attention to Vanille. Lightning sat back in her seat and said nothing so Hope decided not to mention what he just saw.

After a little time had past Hope stood up.

"I'm gonna go get something to eat" He said, Snow nodded "I've not got anything, I'll come with you".

"Me too" Vanille piped up and they all walked up to the get their food.

Lightning gave a sad sigh and rolled her eyes. It was obvious that Vanille and Snow hadn't gotten any food on purpose; the others all had food in front of them. She knew why this was however, Hiroshi, Snow and Vanille just needed an excuse to go up with Hope and act as bodyguards to protect him from Hiroshi.

'_It's sad when you think about it'_ Lightning thought to herself, _'If only the poor kid had the courage to stand up for himself'._

She noted that Serah was deep in conversation with Lebreau, the NORA boys were also talking to one another. Lightning sighed and turned to her right, Fang was sitting, relaxed, smiling at her.

"So, we meet again Lighting" Fang stated nonchalantly, Lightning nodded.

"Yeah, I guess we do, however, I'd appreciate if you didn't bring up the past with anyone" Lightning replied severely.

Fang nodded "No prob, but tell me, two years ago, where did you disappear to?"

"I…was at home, I didn't go out unless I had to" Lightning explained emotionlessly.

Fang slowly nodded and sighed, at that moment Hope, Snow and Vanille came back and sat down. They all began to eat, Lightning just listening in on the other's conversations. Towards the end of lunch however, heedless of the 'bodyguards' around Hope, Hiroshi made his move. Lightning spotted it a fraction of a second to late and before anyone could react Hope was hit from behind and covered in spaghetti bolognaise. Snow immediately jumped up and took Hope's upper arm, helping him stand up, the pasta itself tangled in Hope's hair while the sauce covered his head and shoulders, his eyes glistening as he fought back tears.

"C'mon kid, let's get you cleaned up" Snow said, glaring at Hiroshi who was swiftly retreating to his own table.

Snow led Hope out, ignoring the laughing crowd around them. Serah watched them uncertain until Fang spoke.

"Relax, you can go after them" She said calmly, "Lightning has maths next, Vanille and I are in that class too, we'll get her there".

"Yeah" Vanille agreed absently, watching Hope leave, annoyed at what had happened to him.

Serah smiled and thanked Fang before heading after Snow and Hope. Lunch then ended and, keeping her temper in check at the injustice of Hiroshi's actions and the fact nobody saw fit to reprimand or punish him for them, she followed Fang and Vanille to the maths class.

As they walked to the class Fang's phone suddenly rang, she stopped to answer it; Lightning and Vanille stood and waited up ahead. Fang noted the caller ID and answered it with a smirk.

"Hey Cid, what's up?" She asked cheerfully.

"Light-hearted as ever Fang" Cid Raines stated before asking, "So, have you received any more information, on the task I gave you?"

"Actually yeah, you're not gonna believe this but Lightning is standing a few feet in front of me" Fang replied happily.

"Seriously, where has she been?" Cid replied in shock.

"Hiding in her own home, the one place you probably never looked" Fang said bored.

"Very well" Cid said, "Let her know I am disappointed and that I have important information".

With that they both hung up and Fang joined up with the others, they continued to walk, Vanille began to run, worried about being late, and Fang took this advantage to talk to Lightning.

"That was the boss, he's very unhappy with you for going AWOL for two years and he has information for you," Fang told Lightning casually.

"I wasn't AWOL, I sent in my resignation, Cid should know that" She replied tonelessly.

Fang shook her head and they caught up with Vanille and they made it to Maths just in time. Lightning introduced herself to the teacher and the class passed without incident. Serah and Snow arrived shortly after the start, informed the teacher why they were late and took their seats. After class Lightning left with Serah and Vanille to Biology.

They walked towards Biology and arrived at the classroom, Lightning groaned when she spotted Hiroshi, Vanille shook her head when they heard Hiroshi, he was bragging about the incident at lunch.

"Yeah, the look on Estheim's face was priceless" He said laughing, "The pathetic little kid looked so ridiculous".

"Light" Serah said warningly as she tried to grab Lightning's arm to restrain her.

Serah failed however and Lightning stalked over to Hiroshi, her temper at breaking point. Hiroshi however smirked when he saw her.

"Hey, Lightning" He said smugly, "Finally admitted the truth to yourself huh, well it's about ti-"

A loud gasp went through the crowd as Lightning once again broke Hiroshi's 'rules'. Serah winced and she knew if Snow was here, he would be doing the same, Hiroshi had just ended up on the receiving end of Lightning's legendary right hook. Hiroshi was sprawled on the ground, shock written on his face.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" It was the teacher; he looked enraged as he approached "You must be the new student Lightning Farron"

Lightning nodded, still glaring at Hiroshi.

"Well, I saw that, fighting is not tolerated, to the principal's office, immediately!" The teacher bellowed.

Lightning rolled her eyes; she still knew the route so she walked off without a backwards glance. When she arrived at the principal's office she discovered that the teacher had called ahead and told the principal why she was being sent to him.

"So, explain yourself Miss Farron" He said severely, "You know I won't tolerate fighting".

"Why do you tolerate bullying then" Lightning shot back at him.

"Excuse me" The principal spluttered, shocked at this, "What do you mean bullying?"

Lightning rolled her eyes and then explained "The reason I attacked Hiroshi Arikado is because I seem to be the only one willing to punish him for bullying Hope Estheim"

"I find this a very flimsy excuse" He said darkly but Lightning shook her head.

"I know you are aware of what he did at lunch, so why is he not being punished" Lightning stated before glaring, "It's pathetic, I don't see how Hiroshi should get away with tormenting Hope for so long and I am given into trouble for simply punching him one time".

The principal sat for a moment in silence and then sighed.

"I see what you mean...very well, you may return to class, and give this note to the teacher" The principal said, writing something down on a piece of paper and handing it to Lightning.

Lightning nodded and returned to Biology.

The teacher was surprised to see her and glared suspiciously as she handed him the piece of paper, he read it and his eyes widened and then he sighed.

"Hiroshi Arikado, the principal wishes to see you, immediately" He called out, Hiroshi looked shocked but stood up and headed to the principal's office.

Lightning sat down next to Serah who looked at her amazed.

"Light, what happened?" She asked curiously.

"I set things straight, simple as that" Lightning replied, Serah shook her head and the lesson began.

The lesson passed without further incident, Hiroshi did not return to class, the teacher seemed surprised at that, eventually the lesson ended and, since it was on their way to the next class, Serah and Vanille showed Lightning the way to gym. Gym was a joint Junior and Senior class, Fang stood waiting for Lightning outside the female changing rooms. After Serah and Vanille left for their class Fang and Lightning entered the changing room and got ready for gym, they joined Lebreau and the other girls in the gym. A lot of the girls were whispering in shock as, thanks to her gym clothes, they could see several scars on Lightning's arms and legs. The teacher entered and Lightning once again introduced herself, the teacher explained what the plans for the day were, for starters they were to run laps on the track outside. They began and ran the track; Lightning and Fang were easily the fastest. Many strenuous laps and other activities later the class reached the end, everyone, including Lebreau, was shocked. Despite being soaked in perspiration like the others, Lightning and Fang were not showing any signs of fatigue or breathlessness. They returned to the changing rooms where they headed for the showers, that was when the others noticed something else unusual, they knew about Fang's unusual tattoo. The tattoo was black and featured an overlapping sequence of black arrows, pointing both up and down; in the centre was a large red eye with a white pupil. They had seen Fang's tattoo several times, but what surprised them was that Lightning had the exact same tattoo; Fang's was located on her upper right arm while Lightning's was located on her left breast. Neither girl however reacted to their classmate's interest in their matching tattoos, nor did Lightning show any reaction to the others whispering about more of the several horrific scars that they saw actually covered most of her body.

Finally after gym class ended the girls dried off and redressed in their normal clothes. They then left the changing rooms; Lightning, Fang and Lebreau then spotted the guys who also had gym at the same time as them, Snow, Yuj, Maqui and Gadot, waiting on them. They walked over and, the group walked to the car park to meet up with the others.

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><p>End of chapter, what do you think? Hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	3. Moments of Peace

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 3 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**TheWarrior12: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, glad you liked that line, just something I thought Lightning would say. Yeah the tattoo's are based on the L'Cie brands but have a different meaning in this story.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Moments of Peace<strong>

Lightning, Fang, Lebreau, Snow, Gadot, Maqui and Yuj all left the school and entered the car park; there they saw Hope, Vanille and Serah waiting for them. Vanille waved over to them and they walked over, Vanille launching herself at Fang when they came in reach, Fang laughed and they kissed. When they parted Vanille turned to the others.

"What do you say we go to Sazh's?" She asked, smiling.

The group smiled in agreement. However Gadot, Maqui, Yuj and Lebreau were unable to come with them, the boys were grounded and Lebreau had work so they all left in her car. Fang explained that the reason she and Vanille had come to school on the train was because Fang's car was in the garage getting repairs. Lightning sighed.

"Just drop me off at home on the way" She stated but Serah shook her head.

"No Light, remember what we talked about" She replied, Lightning sighed again; she just couldn't refuse Serah so she reluctantly decided to come along.

Hope once again found himself watching Lightning out the corner of his eye and shook his head trying to concentrate.

'_Give it up already Hope'_ He told himself, _'She's out of my league'._

With them all agreeing to go they got in, Snow in the driving seat, Serah in the front passenger seat, Lighting, Hope and Fang in the back, Vanille sitting on Fang's lap. Snow drove off and headed for Sazh's.

They soon arrived at Sazh's which turned out to be a diner. Once Snow parked they got out the car and headed inside, at the counter was two people, a woman and a child, they both had dark hair, eyes and skin, the woman looked to be about forty, with curly hair and a ponytail of cornrows. She was dressed in a pair of denim jeans; a white shirt; black socks and shoes as well as customary overhauls designed for work in the diner. The boy looked about eight; his dark hair was fashioned into an afro, he was dressed in brown pants, plaid T-shirt; black socks and trainers, he too was wearing overhauls. They looked up and smiled as the group walked up to the counter.

"Hey Mrs. Katzroy, Dajh" Snow greeted them with a wave.

"Hey Snow" Dajh replied, still smiling.

"Let me guess, usual table, usual orders" Mrs. Edna Katzroy said casually.

"Actually, we've got a new member, so, gonna need to get her order first" Serah said gesturing to Lightning.

Lightning rolled her eyes and gave her order before walking with the group over to their usual table at the back of the diner. While they were sitting talking casually the owner of the diner Sazh Katzroy arrived with their food. Sazh was forty years old with a black afro, black short beard and moustache, he was also dressed for work in the diner, he set the food down with a smile.

"Hey guys, welcome back" He greeted with friendly familiarity.

They returned the greeting and Sazh then noticed Lightning, he raised an eyebrow, Serah smiled and made the introductions.

"Sazh, this is my sister Lightning, Light, this is Sazh Katzroy, he owns the place, and is also a friend of ours".

Lightning nodded in response "Pleasure" She stated calmly.

Sazh smiled and then left the group to continue serving the other customers; although he did glance back at Lightning with suspicion. The group ate, making casual conversation every now and then.

As they ate Hope continually had to remind himself to stop staring at Lightning out of the corner of his eyes, he knew he had no chance with her, but couldn't help but feel drawn towards her. he had spent the better part of two years being bullied by Hiroshi, nobody dared stand up to the 'most popular boy in school', then Lightning came along and if what he heard was right, not only stood up against him but also punched him and also got him into trouble for the food throwing incident.

'_She's incredible, but it's not like she'd give me a second glance'_ He thought dejectedly, _'I should think myself lucky just to be friends with her'._

Once they had finished and paid they left the diner and after dropping Fang, Vanille and Hope of at the train station, Snow drove Serah and Lightning home before heading home himself. The whole ride back Lightning was silent however Serah was impressed that she had gone through the whole day and at least made attempts to socialize. However once they returned Lightning simply stated that she'd be back in time for dinner and then disappeared, much to Serah's confusion.

Meanwhile, after an uneventful train ride, Hope returned home, as he entered he heard the phone ringing, he then heard his Mother's voice.

"Hope, could you get that please!" She called out from the kitchen, "Sure" he replied before rushing over to answer the phone.

He picked up the phone and spoke into it, "Hello?"

"Hi, Hope," It was his Father.

"Hey Dad, what's up?" He replied, smiling, but his smile dropped as Bartholomew Estheim answered.

"I'm afraid I'm gonna be working overtime again so…" He began Hope sighed and finished the sentence; "…You won't be home till late".

"Yes, could you let your Mother know" He replied, Hope gave a disappointed "Yeah" in answer and they both hung up.

Hope walked into the kitchen and momentarily forgot his disappointment as the smell of his Mother's Beef Stew hit him. Nora Estheim was thirty-five with shoulder length silver hair and green eyes, people often remarked on how Hope had inherited her features, she was dressed casually and currently working away at the stove, smiling. Nora Estheim was envied amongst the Palumpolum housewives for her remarkable cooking, but for Hope, her best dish by far was her Beef Stew. Nora looked up from the stove and smiled when she saw Hope's expression, she decided to remind him of the matter at hand.

"So, who was on the phone Hope?" She asked casually.

Hope jolted out of his thoughts and sighed, "It was Dad".

Nora nodded, understanding, "He's working late again".

Hope nodded went to go wash up for dinner.

_Bodhum back alleys_

Lightning sighed as she checked her watch; she had done as requested and agreed to meet in one of Bodhum's secluded back alleys. Finally, at exactly the time agreed, she heard footsteps and soon stood face to face with Cid Raines. Cid was a General and overall leader of the Guardian Corps, the Official Cocoon police and military force, Cid was the head of the 'Cavalry' an airship brigade that formed part of the military. Cid was thirty years of age, he had shoulder length black hair that partially covered his right eye and black eyes, he was dressed in his usual uniform.

"I hope this is important" Lightning remarked to her superior officer.

Cid smiled and replied, "It is 'Sergeant' Farron, it concerns some allegations and concerns you expressed before…'resigning'" He explained.

Lightning shrugged, "Meaning?" She questioned.

"We've decided…" Cid replied, "…Due to recent suspicious activity, we are going to be launching a secret investigation…into Primarch Galenth Dysley".

Lightning raised her eyebrows, "Taking my words seriously now huh" She commented, "Took you guys long enough".

"I know this is of personal concern to you Lightning" Cid sated, "That is why I've decided to keep you in the loop, if anything occurs…I will inform you or Fang".

Lighting nodded, "Understood".

With that they ended their conversation and Lightning returned home while Cid headed back to his Limo and returned to base. When Lightning returned home she was annoyed to find Serah was sitting waiting for her.

"Where'd you go?" She asked, Lightning shook her head.

"Out" She replied curtly.

Serah rolled her eyes and stated "Being secretive doesn't work with me Light".

Lightning shook her head, "It was something to do with my work, that's all I can say".

Serah sighed; discussion on Lightning's work was strictly off-limits, so she was left with no alternative but to give up.

"Okay fine" Serah paused before adding, "If you'd just said that in the first place I would've gone to bed instead of waiting up and bothering you".

Lightning nodded, "I'll bear that in mind" She commented before heading up to her room.

Lightning's room was located on the top floor and was separate from the rest of the house…Lighting had also soundproofed it so as to block out any noise from the room, or outside the room, so it wouldn't disturb her. After shaking her head at her encounter with Serah Lightning changed out of her clothes and into the holey black sweatpants and frayed grey tank-top she usually slept in, before heading for bed.

_Estheim Residence_

Hope was already dressed for bed, but before he went his Mother decided to ask him how his day went.

Hope shrugged, "It was alright".

Nora looked at him severely "You didn't have any trouble with…"

Hope knew she was asking about Hiroshi and quickly cut across her shaking his head.

"No, none at all" He stated and then revealed, "Actually there was a new student, he tried to pick on me but she got him to back down".

Nora raised an eyebrow, "Really, and who is this mystery girl".

Hope went red, "It's nothing like that Mom…She's Serah's sister".

"Serah's sister…I didn't know she had a sister" Nora remarked confused.

"Yeah well, apparently she was home-schooled and this is her first time in a real school. She calls herself…Lightning" Hope explained.

Nora nodded and, once they had exchanged 'Good Night's and Hope had headed off to bed she smiled.

_This new girl, Lightning'_ Nora thought, _'He can deny it all he wants, but I see he has a crush on her…I just hope she doesn't break his heart'._

Smiling at the thought of her son in love Nora returned to kitchen to make sure the remaining Beef Stew was in the microwave ready to be heated for when her husband came home.

_Farron Residence_

"Noooo!"

With that scream Lighting sat bolt upright in bed, she was breathing heavily and perspiring, it took a few seconds to notice her limbs were shaking as well. She groaned and shook her head.

'_That damn nightmare again'_ She thought bitterly, _'the past always comes back to haunt me, damn them…it's been two years, damn PSICOM'._

She was referring to the other, now abolished military force that once existed in Cocoon, a force that used ruthless measures and hired those with extremist views to try and control and enforce law in Cocoon through fear. Knowing that she wasn't going to get anymore sleep Lightning checked the clock. It read 04:00am; she sighed and lay back on the bed. She knew the only reason Serah hadn't come running was because of the rooms soundproofing, Serah, despite knowing Lightning suffered from continual nightmares, hadn't heard a thing. She sighed again and climbed out of bed. She then walked over and picked up a picture on the dresser, it was a picture of a five year old Lightning and four year old Serah with their parents. It had been taken two days before their parent's deaths. She looked at herself in the picture, the eyes bright and full of happiness, the joy as she stood with an arm around her sister, so oblivious to the tragedy that was only forty-eight hours away. Shaking her head she put the picture back down and began thinking of ways to occupy herself until it was time to head to school again.

* * *

><p>End of chapter, waht do you think? Hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	4. New Day, New Problems

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 4 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**FunBlocker62: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, here is the next chapter.  
>TheWarrior12: Yeah, there's going to be a little more insight in this chapter too, but the details won't come until later, much later.<br>Lady-Blizzard: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, here's the next chapter, hope it doesn't disappoint :)  
>Yatogirl: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, yeah Lightning is my favourite too :)<strong>

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: New Day, New Problems<strong>

It was the start of a new day. Vanille smiled and she nestled amongst the silk sheets that covered the double bed she lay on. She slowly opened her eyes with a contented sigh.

"Hey, morning sleepyhead."

Vanille smirked as she realized the position she was in. Fang was lying on her back, arms behind her head; Vanille was lying draped across her, head on Fang's shoulder.

"Morning Fang." Vanille greeted with a coy smile.

Fang returned the smile and pulled her girlfriend into a passionate kiss. They continued to kiss for a long time until Fang pulled back, too soon for Vanille's liking.

"Fang," She whined, Fang just laughed, "Sorry babe, but we've gotta get ready for school."

She glared at Fang, "it's at times like this I really _hate_ you."

Fang laughed, "That's not what you said last night," She remarked in a singsong voice.

Vanille blushed, "Fang!" She screamed, scandalized. Fang shook her head and laughed, both girls got out of bed and quickly got dressed, once dressed they headed out; Fang had retrieved her car from the garage so they drove to school. The others were also heading to school, Hope by train as usual, Lightning and Serah getting a lift from Snow, the NORA crew all drove in their own cars.

They all arrived at the school and they met up with each other.

"Hey, you guys ready for today?" Snow asked with a wide smile.

The others all nodded, Lightning however looked distant, more so than usual. Hope was the first to notice.

"Lightning?" He asked, she shook her head, "It's nothing."

Before anyone else could comment the large screen that hung on the wall of the main hall flared into life. Before long Cocoon's anthem played and an image was shown of a man aged at least fifty with short grey hair and grey eyes. He was dressed in extravagant robes and a similar headdress; it was the Primarch of Cocoon, Galenth Dysley. He was set to make an announcement and everybody stopped to listen.

"People of Cocoon, it is with heavy heart we remember the losses and with fond remembrance we see the second anniversary of the end of Guardian Crops/PSICOM war. I ask that you remember those who perished in the war, and their sacrifice, never forget the horrors of those days."

With his announcement over the screen went blank as his dedication to overcome the sadness of the memories of that terrible war shone through. Lightning regarded this however with a glare as she knew about Dysley's suspicious activities.

Finally they all headed to class, Lightning heading to English with Serah and Snow, most students were in a dark mood, many of them had lost family in the war, especially towards the end when PSICOM became more aggressive, the war lasted for fifteen years and Lightning and Serah lost their parents in the third year of the war. Serah sighed as she remembered her life after her parent's deaths, after a long time being cared for by the neighbours Lightning disappeared at age seven and did not return until after the war was over. She had asked about it several times but Lightning had refused to answer. When they made it to class and sat down Serah noticed that Lightning was more distant than ever. When English ended Lightning headed to History while Snow and Serah headed for their next class. Lightning arrived at her next class, her mind distracted, her memories of her deceased parents and the war. She sighed and pulled out her phone, she opened her contacts list, it was short. Only four numbers, only one had seen regular use and that was Serah's, two of them belonged to Cid and another member of the Guardian Corps named Amodar, he had been the one who introduced Lightning to the Guardian Corps. They had both contacted her several times during her 'disappearance' but she had ignored their calls. The fourth number was one she had called almost constantly in the aftermath of the war; she brought the contact details up and looked at them as her finger hovered over the call button. She swallowed as she read the name yet again.

_Caius Ballad_

Lightning made up her mind and pressed the call button and brought the phone up to her ear. It rang for a few times and then finally.

"_The person you are calling is unavailable, please call again later."_

She sighed and hung up, putting her phone back in her pocket, it was always the same; ever since the war ended she had been unable to contact him.

She entered her History class and sat down; she noticed that in addition to Hiroshi, Maqui and Gadot were also in the class. She sighed and let her mind wander to Caius; General Caius Ballad had been the overall commander of the Guardian Corps before Cid and had been Lightning's superior officer. He was a legend amongst the Guardian Corps said to be invincible in combat, he was also capable of casting magic, a rare ability that he also bestowed to his underlings, only a select few were chosen by Caius to work under him, Lightning had been one of his pupils who had been bestowed with magic. Despite seeming distant to most, Lightning was Caius' favourite pupil and he always took time out to train her and encourage her on her quest for revenge against PSICOM. However after the war Caius resigned from the Guardian Corps and disappeared, nobody knew why, it was this incident that led to Lightning also resigning, his disappearance after all had hurt her almost as much as her parents deaths and she had shut herself off ever since. This day always held dark memories for her, her parent's deaths, her mentor's disappearance, it was then she fully abandoned her birth name and adopted the name 'Lightning', she even insisted Serah call her Lightning.

She broke out of her musings as the teacher asked her a question, ironically the Guardian Corps/PSICOM war was the topic and Lightning answered the question effortlessly, she knew it even better than the teacher, after all she had firsthand experience of the incident they were talking about. The rest of the lesson and Physics passed also without incident and Lightning headed to Lunch with Hope and Maqui. She sat with the others, Serah noticed Lightning's distant expression and when Lightning caught her eye she nodded sympathetically. Lightning managed a ghost of a smile in return which vanished when she heard a voice behind her.

"Hey Lightning," It was Hiroshi, Lightning rolled her eyes, she really wasn't in the mood to deal with him today.

She ignored him but he simply leaned over her.

"I just thought I should tell you I forgive you for that little accident yesterday."

"Not an accident," Lightning replied coldly, "I should've hit you harder."

Hiroshi laughed, "Yeah I know you don't mean that."

"Actually I do."

He sighed and shook his head, "C'mon Lightning, you have such potential, and be so much more."

Lightning flinched, Hiroshi's words sparked an unwanted memory, someone...else had said those words to her, the same one who had given her the scars.

"I'm done here; I'll see you guys in class." She told the others before standing up and leaving.

Hiroshi however followed her out of the cafeteria; she spun around to face him, glaring.

"What is your problem? I've already told you, I'm not interested." She snapped, before he could say anything else she cut across him, "I'll never be interested so just leave me along."

"C'mon Lightning, you have such potential, you could be great and popular but you spoil it, being 'friends' with _them_."

Lightning shook her head, "Just what is that supposed to mean?"

"C'mon, look at them, that big oaf Snow, how he got with a prude like Serah I'll never know, guess she must secretly like it rough."

Lightning's anger peaked at the comment about her sister but Hiroshi wasn't done.

"Those clowns that follow Snow around, that NORA crew it's pathetic, I don't know how you can stand to even be near those Lesbos either, or why you even give that loser Estheim the time of day."

Lightning suddenly stepped forward, her face extremely close to Hiroshi's as her anger was visible, Hiroshi stepped back shocked.

"You're lucky, if I wasn't so busy dealing with all the problems I have today, I would've hit you," She then lifted up her fingers indicating a very small gap, "But believe, I'm that fucking close."

Hiroshi stuttered and Lightning continued.

"Honestly, Fang and Vanille are in love, it doesn't matter that they're both female, but clearly a bigot like you can't see that. And if you dare talk about my sister like that again I'll seriously consider removing what makes you a man."

Hiroshi gulped at that, shock written plainly on his face.

"As for Snow, yeah he's an idiot but he'd never do anything to hurt Serah, I know because if he did I would personally hunt him down and put him in a coma, and that's being generous, the Nora crew are the same, not overly smart but bearable, unlike you."

Hiroshi stepped back still in shock at Lightning's rage.

"As for Hope, what's he ever done to you, you bully him every day, just because he's not _'cool'_ it's pathetic, and you're a coward."

With that she turned and stalked off, Hiroshi however recovered and called after her.

"You can keep lying to yourself Lightning, but you'll have to admit the truth someday, you will be mine, understand!"

'_Idiot.'_ She thought bitterly before headed off to her next class.

As she sat down she noticed Fang, Vanille, Serah and Snow walking in. Vanille smiled gratefully at her, Fang was smirking so was Snow. They all took their seats, Serah turned to Lightning.

"You okay Light?" She asked, Lightning nodded, she had calmed down by now.

"Fine," Serah then smiled, "We...heard your little argument with Hiroshi...Everyone's really grateful to you for standing up for them."

Lightning just nodded, "Yeah, okay."

The rest of the day passed quietly without much incident, however once again, in gym, the other girls were once again puzzled and whispering about Lightning's scars, as well as Fang and Lightning's matching tattoos. But once again neither girl offered any explanation. After leaving gym and heading out to the parking lot the groups split up and headed straight home.

_Farron Residence_

When Serah and Lightning were dropped off they found someone waiting for them. It was a man aged thirty-two with short black hair and a black moustache; he also had black eyes and was dressed in a Guardian Corps uniform. Lightning greeted him with familiarity.

"Lieutenant Amodar." In addition to being the one who introduced Lightning to the Guardian Corps Amodar was also a neighbour of the Farron sisters and was responsible for caring for Serah during Lightning's disappearance in the war. All Serah knew was that Lighting took part in the war, but the activities of Caius Ballad and his underlings had been kept secret.

Amodar smiled, "Hey, long time, no see."

Serah smiled and greeted Amodar before heading inside.

"C'mon in," She offered but Amodar shook his head, "I can't stay; I'm just here to pass on a message, privately."

Serah nodded and hurried inside, Amodar then turned to Lightning.

"Cid asked me to pass on this message; given the suspicious circumstances surrounding Galenth Dysley, he wants to meet you and Fang tomorrow at noon, it's urgent business."

Lightning nodded and, after Amodar left she headed inside, wondering what Cid could possibly want.

_Estheim Residence_

Hope finally arrived home and was surprised to see his father was home. Bartholomew Estheim was thirty-six with short brown hair and brown eyes, he was dressed for business within the government, a Sanctum office uniform, he was clearly not long in from work. Hope shifted awkwardly, Nora noticed and sighed, Hope always complained about how Bartholomew was always working, yet on the occasion when they could both see each other, neither of them knew how to react.

"H-hey Dad." Hope greeted awkwardly.

Bartholomew looked up and managed a strained smile, "Hope, how was school today?"

Hope shrugged, "It was okay, nothing much happened...How's work?"

Bartholomew sighed, "Tiring as usual."

Following the awkward exchange Hope headed up to his room, Nora sighed, she knew she had to do something sooner or later to deal with this awkwardness between her husband and son, she knew they both wanted to patch up their relationship but didn't know how to.

_Eden_

It was 18:37 EST, four minutes before the official end of the Guardian Corp/PSICOM war. Galenth Dysley was preparing to give a speech to all of Cocoon. The cameras were ready and he was given the signal.

"People of Cocoon, it is the 15th of May 2 APW, it has been two years to the day the war between PSICOM and the Guardian Corps ended. At 18:41 Eden Standard Time, we shall have a two minute silence in remembrance of those who lost their lives during the war and in doing so we shall honour their sacrifice."

The clock then turned to 18:41 and Dysley nodded.

"It is now 18:41; we will now begin our two minutes silence."

With that he bowed his head and went quiet, as did everyone all over Cocoon. At this moment Lightning was up in her room, a large case that was usually under her bed was out on top of it. It was open and its contents was now in Lightning's hands, it was her Father's Blazefire Sabre, she held it, point up, her hands tightly gripping the handle. She had bowed her head during the silence, her forehead resting on the blade.

Finally the two minute silence ended and the cameras were turned off and everyone left, except for a shadowy woman who stood near Dysley's throne.

"Your Excellency, how long until we act?" She asked.

"Soon, my dear High Inquisitor, soon." Was Dysley's vague reply as he smirked.

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><p>End of chapter. So, some more mysteries, what is Caius' true connection to Lightning in this story, who is the mysterious woman talking to Dysley, what does Cid want from Lightning and Fang? Well, at least one of these will be answered in the next chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	5. Information and Casual Interactions

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

****Chapter 5 of my Final Fantasy story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**TheWarrior12: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, Hiroshi's not finished yet BTW, just wait until you see how desperate he gets.  
><strong>**Lady-Blizzard: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, suspense is kind of my speciality.  
><strong>**Kaenin: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, in answer to your question, yes he will eventually be able to use magic. Hiroshi's not done yet, wait till you see what he eventually does.  
>Lightarcana: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, here is the next chapter.<strong>

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Information and Casual Interactions<strong>

The following day Lightning stood in one of the quieter areas of Bodhum waiting for Cid. She checked her watch and mused that Cid was never late or early but always exactly on time. Sure enough, at exactly the time he said he would arrive Cid's limo pulled up in front of her and the back door opened, Lightning climbed inside, the door closed and the limo drove off. Cid was seated with his back to the driver, Lightning noticed that she wasn't alone; Fang was also sitting with her.

"Hey." Fang greeted casually. Lightning narrowed her eyes, gave a small nod of greeting and then turned to Cid.

"So, what's the important news?" She asked in a voice that left no room for delays, she wanted Cid to get right to the point.

Cid sighed and then revealed what he knew, "Dysley's actions suggest that he will try to abolish the parliament and take full control of Cocoon…But that's not all."

Lightning nodded, she knew Dysley was a tyrant the moment she saw him but Cid's comment about their being more caught her attention.

"If what we've gathered is correct, he intends not to just stop with Cocoon…but he wants to spread his power into Pulse too."

Fang gasped at this. Gran Pulse, also known simply as Pulse was the lower world that existed beneath Cocoon, the floating world in the sky. It was considered by many to be a barbaric place full of monsters and other horrors.

As they took this news in Fang was suddenly confused.

"Hey, given the way people think about Pulse, how's Dysley going to justify trying to 'colonize' it?"

Cid gave a sad smile, "According to what he said…He has a simple plan that will work. Think about, what's on Pulse apart from monsters and the occasional Pulsian village."

They both then realized what Cid was talking about, they had both been to Pulse before. Fang had been born and grew up there until she got involved in the war. Vanille had also been born on Pulse but had been forced to move to Cocoon with her family when she was ten after her village was destroyed by a PSICOM air raid. Lightning's experience of Pulse wasn't as civilized as she had only seen the monster side of it, a large section of Pulse known as the Archylte Steppe had been Caius' favourite training ground and, after a while, hers too. However in answer to Cid's question, what else existed on Pulse except the villages and monster, Lightning provided the answer.

"Almost limitless resources that could provide energy."

"Exactly," Cid replied, "It is no secret that, ever since Nautilus was built Cocoon's use of energy resources especially finite ones has increased dramatically. We are not close to having an energy crisis yet but…Dysley's plan to use the resources on Pulse as his excuse make the people think that he is planning far into the future and will win their support."

The implications of this were not lost on them. Finally Lightning asked.

"Anything else to tell us, or do we move on to what we plan to do about this?"

Cid looked uncomfortable for once.

"Well, there is one more thing," He stated tensely, "Recently, Dysley has been seen in the company of two shadowy figures, one male, one female, they are working for him but, I get the feeling that I've seen them before, I just can't put my finger on where."

Both Lightning and Fang pondered this for a while before Cid finally moved on to the next topic, what they were going to do about the situation.

Cid was quiet for a moment and then finally revealed.

"As it stands I don't think, should it come to a fight that we would stand a chance against Dysley or his secret companions."

Lightning raised and eyebrow, "Are you forgetting," She said gesturing to Fang's tattoo. "Fang and I can use magic."

Cid sighed sadly, "From what I've seen, personally, so can Dysley." He paused to allow his words to sink in before adding, "And his magic appears to be a lot more powerful than both of you combined."

They froze when they heard this.

"Then what are we going to do?" Fang asked.

"There is one way, the problem is doing it," Cid replied, "It will require you to go down to Pulse."

"What is it?" Lightning asked, tense.

"There is someone on Pulse, her name is Paddra Nsu-Yeul, I believe you know her Fang?"

"Yeah, an old friend," Fang replied, Cid nodded and continued.

"Yeul may help us; we'll need her abilities as a seeress to find what we need."

Lightning sighed, "And what is that?"

Cid smiled grimly, "The Eidolons."

They froze as they heard this, Eidolons, the stuff of legends, powerful beings that responds only to the heart of the individual they find connection with, provided that person could prove themselves worthy. Cid reassured them that he would make the necessary preparations and told them to spend the rest of the day as they saw fit, after the limo stopped and they got out, Cid bid them farewell and it drove off. Fang smiled.

"Well, see you later Lightning, I've gotta go, promised Vanille I'd take her shopping."

Lightning nodded and as Fang walked off Lightning headed for home.

_Eden_

Dysley sat on his throne broadly examining the documents in front of him; finally he looked over at the shadowy woman, the one he had addressed as High Inquisitor.

"How much longer until we are ready?" He asked.

"It will take several months your Excellency, we still need to prepare all our forces and bring our experiments back to their completed state." She replied, "Having to do it in secrecy means that the earliest we'll be able to act is March 3 APW."

"It will have to do," Dysley replied before turning to a second shadowy figure, male this time.

"What is the situation on your end, Grand General?" He asked the figure.

"We have managed to secretly drill our troops, they are back to their usual fitness and ready, but without our usual experimental weapons we are lacking the edge we had last time, and we have a shortage of airships."

"I shall provide the airships," Dysley explained casually, "Very well, we shall prepare, by March 3 APW we shall make our move."

The two shadowy figures saluted and left the room quietly.

_Farron Residence_

Lightning returned home to find Serah just coming out.

"Hey Light," She greeted, Lightning smiled, "Hey, where are you going?"

Serah sighed, "We're outta food, I was going to the mall to get some more."

Lightning shrugged, "How about I come with you." Serah smiled and agreed, they both headed to Lightning's car and drove off. When they arrived they headed in immediately.

"We might run into Fang and Vanille, they said they were coming here." Lightning explained casually, Serah smiled and nodded. However it wasn't Fang and Vanille they ran into, it was Hope.

"Hope, hey, how's it going?" Serah greeted happily.

Hope smiled, "Fine," Serah then asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Just got, nothing else to do, don't wanna go home yet." Hope replied with a shrug.

Serah laughed and Hope joined them as they headed through the mall.

Eventually Serah headed about, getting anything the sisters would need, Lightning and Hope remained in a nearby cafe. Hope was shifting uncomfortably, glancing at Lightning out of the corner of his eye.

"Hope, are you okay?" She asked, evidently confused by his preoccupation.

Hope swallowed nervously, hoping she didn't notice his blush, "I-I'm fine."

Lightning nodded and then after a pause made up her mind. She turned to Hope.

"Hope, I need to talk to you about something important." She stated swiftly, Hope looked at her surprised, "W-what is it?"

"It's about you; you let Hiroshi walk all over you at school." Hope grimace, "Lightning, he..."

"He's a coward, he's just picking on you because you let him, you've gotta stand up for yourself, it's just a confidence issue you have."

Hope lowered his head, Lightning was right; his main weakness was his lack of confidence in just about anything.

"So what can I do about it?"

"I'm going to help you," Lightning explained, surprising him, "We're gonna toughen you up, by the time I'm done, Hiroshi will be the one scared of you."

Hope was shocked and could only stammer his acceptance of the idea, the prospect of spending more time with Lightning both appealed and terrified him but he was willing to go along with it, if it meant he could improve his confidence, maybe, just maybe he could also improve his chances, however slightly with her.

Eventually Serah returned and they all headed to Lightning's car, after dropping Hope off at the train station so he could get home the Farron sisters returned home too, Lightning was deep in thought, she had made her decision spontaneously, mainly because she hated the idea of someone bullying someone else just because the other couldn't defend themselves. That night, before she fell asleep she pondered on her decision and decided it was the right one, she was just helping out a friend, a friend with a crush on her, yes she had noticed that. Too bad for him she wasn't interested in forming a relationship with anyone. She wasn't even sure she considered Hope a friend yet, maybe helping out would allow her to figure that out. Pushing it to the back of her mind for now she allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

_Lightning groaned in pain, she was strapped down on a table in a dark room. Her clothing had been removed and there were numerous cuts covering her entire body. A group of figures stood around the table silently, they each had a badge on their uniforms that read PSICOM. A lone female figure stepped forward, into the light. She was tall, dressed in a PSICOM uniform; she had long platinum blonde hair and green eyes. She wore a pair of wire rimmed glasses and held a modified officer's baton in her hand._

"_Well, well, how ironic, one of the great ones," The woman stated darkly, she gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "You know, there is a way to stop this torment, join us."_

_Lightning weakly raised her head to glare at the woman._

"_Go fuck yourself Jihl," She breathed before dropping her head back again._

_Jihl Nabaat sighed and pressed a button at the base of her baton, the baton emitted a high whining sound and the other PSICOM members stiffened in fear. Jihl suddenly thrust the baton into Lightning's torso and Lightning screamed as the electricity discharged through her body._

"_Honestly my dear, you have such potential and could be so much more." Jihl stated darkly as Lightning blacked out._

Lightning jerked awake as the old nightmare came back to haunt her. Those long hours of darkness and pain as the High Inquisitor of PSICOM, Jihl Nabaat tortured her and tried to convince her to join PSICOM. Whilst PSICOM were capable of using powered suits that artificially generate magic Jihl took an immense interest in Lightning's natural magic which was much more powerful. Lightning sighed and shook her head before checking the clock, 3:48 AM, the Nightmare's always woke her around this time, from what she had been able to gather, it was around this time, two years ago that she had been tortured, that was the source of all her scars that her classmates found so interesting. Shaking her head she got out of bed and decided she was as well waiting for Serah to wake up before doing anything.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	6. Working out and Building Confidence

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 7 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Kaenin: Where did you get that idea, she just stated at the end of the last chapter that she was going to help him?  
>TheWarrior12: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, while it's a bonus Dysley doesn't really wnat the resources on Pulse, just Pulse itself to add to his power.<br>Lady-Blizzard: Yeah, they certainly are, thanks, glad you are enjoying it.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Working Out and Building Confidence<strong>

Lightning sighed as she ate breakfast; it was coming up for eight in the morning, Serah would be up soon. Sure enough Serah walked into the room, yawning.

"Morning Light, how'd you sleep?" Serah asked, mid-yawn.

Lightning sighed, "How do you think."

Serah's face immediately assumed a sombre expression, "Nightmares again." It wasn't a question, Lightning nodded and Serah sighed before sitting down at the table.

She then noticed the plate in front of Lightning.

"Lightning, what is that?" She asked.

Lightning shrugged and replied, "Yesterday's dinner, I do know how to use the microwave Serah."

Serah sighed and rolled her eyes, while Lightning was an expert at many things, some Serah didn't want to know how, it was no secret that cooking wasn't one of them. Serah shook her head and decided to change the subject.

"So, what are you going to be doing today?" She asked, Lightning was quiet for only a moment before answering.

"Gonna be taking Hope to the gym I normally go to, toughen him up, hopefully build up his confidence too."

"Is that what you were talking to him about yesterday, and why you gave him your number?" Serah asked, surprised, Lightning nodded, "I see, why?"

"So he can stand up to Hiroshi, get that idiot to back off," Lightning replied, Serah nodded, understanding.

"That's a great idea," She replied, however she was thinking of something else, _'Poor Hope, Lightning knows about his crush on her…Please don't let her be too harsh with him,'_

Lightning suddenly stood up and left the room, Serah know she had gone to call Hope so she decided to get ready herself, she was going to spending the day with Snow and this time the NORA crew wouldn't be there, it would just be the two of them.

Lightning headed down the street, she was going to meet with Hope at the train station, she had told him about her plan and he had agreed, somewhat reluctantly. As she walked she bumped into someone.

"Whoa, careful there," They said jokingly.

Lightning looked up and saw that it was Sazh.

"Oh hey, Lightning right?" He greeted, realizing who it was.

"Yeah, sorry about that." She replied, Sazh simply smiled, "Nothing to it."

"Sorry, I gotta hurry." Lightning stated.

Sazh cocked an eyebrow, "What's the rush?"

"I'm meeting with a friend," She explained, "I promised I'd do him a favour, now if you'll excuse me."

With that Lightning walked off, Sazh began to walk off but glanced back and narrowed his eyes; he then pulled out his phone.

"Hey, is this a secure line?" He asked quietly, he waited for a response and then continued, "Then transfer me to one…I've gotta talk to the Boss."

He watched as Lightning disappeared around the corner and waited for the Boss to answer his call.

Lightning stood waiting at the train station for Hope to arrive. She glanced along the platform and froze, she turned but the sound of the train approaching distracted her and when she looked back the figure she had seen was gone.

'_I must be imagining things,'_ She thought to herself,_ 'That couldn't have been…Caius.'_

As she pondered this she remembered one of her training sessions with Caius.

_Lightning, aged nine, was doubled over gasping for air, in her hand she held her father's Blazefire Sabre. Standing opposite her was Caius Ballad, a tall muscular imposing man with long straight purple hair that partially covered his right eye and black eyes, he was dressed in black and purple form fitting armour with various spike like protrusions and purple tassels, he also wore a purple headband and was armed with a large black jagged sword with a purple eye like gem on the hilt. He watched Lightning as she fought for breath._

"_Get up Lightning," He stated simply, "Get up."_

_She looked up at him desperately but he shook his head._

"_You have to get up on your own; I thought you wanted to become strong."_

"_I do." She snapped back, Caius glared, "Then prove it, get up and fight, if you want to avenge your parents, you have to fight, no matter the odds."_

_Caius gripped his sword tightly, the eye opened wide and his sword became wreathed in purple flames._

"_Now get up and show me what you've got!"_

_With a yell of effort Lightning shot to her feet and charged Caius to attack._

Lightning was jolted out of her thoughts by a tap at her shoulder, it was Hope.

"Lightning, are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, let's go." She replied forcing herself to focus on the present, as they left the train station.

_Guardian Corps Headquarters_

Cid continued to speak into the phone finally he reached the end of his conversation.

"Alright, just continue to keep an eye on things, thank you." With that he ended the call and then leaned back in his seat with a sigh.

He then reached out and pressed a button on his intercom.

"Send Amodar in." He said and then flicked off the switch as the door opened and Amodar walked in.

Amodar walked up to the desk and saluted.

"Sir, how can I help?"

"This is about the task I assigned you earlier Amodar, are we ready." Cid replied calmly.

"Almost sir, we should be good to go soon," was Amodar's response.

"Good, let me know the minute we are ready."

Amodar saluted again and left, Cid sighed, if his fears were correct then he needed to act quickly, the Eidolons were beginning to look more and more like the last hope for Cocoon.

_Bodhum Beach_

Serah sighed in content as she sat at the end of the walkway; she rested her head on Snow's shoulder as they watched the sea.

"It's beautiful Snow." She said quietly, he smiled.

"Yeah," Snow agreed. Finally after a pause he asked, "So, where's Lightning, I thought she'd be waiting to give me warning when I came to pick you up."

Serah laughed and shook her head.

"Lightning's taking Hope to the gym she trains at, she's planning to toughen him up, so he can stand up to Hiroshi." She explained, Snow nodded gravely.

"I see, well, that's good."

They sat in silence for a moment before drawing closer and then kissing. They continued to kiss and only parted when they needed air; both had lopsided grins on their faces as they continued to enjoy the view.

_Bodhum Gym_

Hope shifted uncomfortably as he watched the other people working out at the gym. Most of these people were heavy with muscle and it was a major blow to his self-esteem, why had he agreed to let Lightning take him here.

'_Oh yeah, because she offered to help me deal with Hiroshi,'_ He thought to himself, _'and I wanted to spend more time with her.'_

She had made it quite clear on the way that she knew about his crush on her. He was worried at first, especially when she explained that she wasn't interested, however she didn't shut him down completely. She emphasized that while she wasn't interested in him that way she was willing to consider him a friend. He was willing to accept that. Lightning then exited the changing rooms in her gym apparel and joined him.

"Okay, ready to begin?" She asked casually.

"S-sure." He answered, already feeling even more awkward.

Lightning nodded and they both headed off, he was distracted however as he could see the scars on her arms and legs.

"Don't ask Hope," She remarked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Don't ask about my scars, I'd rather not talk about it okay." She explained, he nodded, "Okay, sorry."

So they began and Lightning directed him through a strenuous workout.

By the end Hope's muscles were screaming but he didn't make any complaint, he knew it would be worth it in the end if it meant he could stand up to Hiroshi. They had returned to the changing rooms, showered and changed and now they were heading out of the gym.

"So um…thanks for this Light." He began awkwardly; she gave a ghost of a smile and shrugged.

"Hey, it'll help, you may be in pain just now but it'll pass, and once you start to feel stronger, you'll get more confident, okay."

"Right, "He replied, at the same time thinking, _'She doesn't miss a thing, she saw right away I was in pain.'_

Just then Lightning's phone rang; she picked it up and examined it.

"Sorry Hope I've gotta go, I'll walk you back to the train station."

"Oh um…okay." He replied, slightly disappointed.

They returned to the train station and Lightning waited until Hope had boarded his train and was heading home before leaving and returning home. Once home she hurried up to her room and pulled the case from under her bed out, she quickly flicked through the combination lock and opened it. Inside was a belt that housed her Father's Blazefire Sabre, she strapped on the belt, slid the box back under the bed and hurried outside where Cid's limo was waiting for her, she quickly climbed in.

Inside Cid and Fang were sitting waiting for her; Fang was armed with a red spear and looked completely serious. The limo door closed and the car drove off.

"So, what's going on?" Lightning asked.

"I told you to get ready and bring your weapon because," Cid began, he paused slightly and then continued, "We are sending you down to Pulse to get the Eidolons,"

Lighting's eyes widened at this, so this was it. She and Fang were going to claim the legendary entities to prepare themselves for what could be a dangerous yet secretive fight. Both of them made sure they were ready as the limo pulled up outside the Guardian Corps airship hangar.

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><p>End of chapter, what do you think? So, Lightning and Fang are on their way to get the Eidolons, how will they fare? Some more mysteries also brought to light, what is Sazh up to, who is his 'Boss' why is he watching Lightning? Hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	7. Wonders on Pulse

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 7 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Lightarcana: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, here's the next chapter :)  
>TheWarrior12: Yup, it will be, thanks. Yeah it actually seems to be a popular idea in fanfiction that Lightning can't cook :)<br>Lightslightning: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Wonders on Pulse<strong>

The airship that was to take Lightning and Fang down to Pulse, the pilot was a man named Rygdea, he was in his twenties with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes, he was dressed in an official Guardian Corps uniform, designed for the 'Cavalry' airship brigade. Cid was talking to Lightning and Fang while Rygdea got the airship ready for take off.

"Now, you will be landing in the Archylte Steppe, near the Yaschas Massif. From there head through Yaschas Massif and you should eventually come to village of Paddra, Yeul will be there."

"Are you really sure about that?" Lightning asked, quirking an eyebrow, Fang laughed, "Relax Lightning, she'll be there, she never leaves her village."

Lighting knew she would have to trust Fang, especially since Fang had called Yeul an old friend. So they boarded the airship and Rygdea took off and they headed out of the Hangar and out of Cocoon airspace before heading down to Pulse.

They landed on Pulse, just a few feet away from the Yaschas Massif. The Pulse wildlife scattered, disturbed by this foreign intrusion, the engines were shut off and the door was opened. Lightning and Fang stepped out, looking around at the large plains of the Archylte Steppe, Pulse was a large world filled with natural wonders and untouched by technology. Of the people living in Pulse it was said that something in either the food they ate or the water they drank granted them extraordinary strength. Lightning pondered this rumour and considered that it might actually be true, after all Fang had once thrown a full grown man halfway across a room with one hand. As they left the airship Rygdea came to the door.

"You ladies be careful now," He said playfully, Fang smirked and turned to him.

"I think we're safer on Pulse than you are Rygdea." She shot back, just as playful.

Rygdea laughed and gestured to his gun, "I'll be fine; I can tackle any monster that comes after me with this."

"What about those," Lightning replied, gesturing to a lake where three massive Behemoth King's.

Rygdea grimaced, "I'll use the cannons on this baby, nothing to it."

Fang shrugged and immediately set off as Rygdea returned to the interior of the airship, Lightning followed Fang who, as a Pulse native, seemed to know where she was going.

They walked along the Yaschas Massif with little trouble.

"It's because of the time of day," Fang Explained, "Most of the monsters have just ate, so now they're taking a little nap."

Lightning nodded but was no less wary; she continued to walk with one hand on her weapon. Very soon they found themselves at what looked like a large village, standing at the gates were two large, well built Pulsian men. They were armed with spears and when they saw Fang and Lightning they assumed a ready stance with their spears. Lightning tensed but Fang held her arm out to stop her. Fang took a slow cautious step forward and then spoke.

"I am Oerba Yun Fang; this is my friend Lightning Farron from Cocoon. We do not mean any harm; we have come seeking the seeress Paddra Nsu-Yeul."

The guards looked at them both critically before relaxing and stepping aside.

"This way Light, just walk casually, and take your hand off your sword." Fang said, Lightning did so and followed Fang into the village.

They walked through the village, some of the people in it stopped to look at them, some whispered, others carried on their business without giving them a second glance. Lightning was puzzled by the incident at the gate.

"What was that all about at the gate?" She asked Fang.

Fang smiled, "Politeness is everything with these people. To them to be polite you have to declare your name and verify that you aren't a threat, also stating the reason why you are visiting helps."

Lightning nodded and then glanced at Fang, "Oerba Yun Fang?"

"The way everyone is named on Pulse," Fang explained, "It means my name is Fang, I'm from the Yun Clan from the village of Oerba."

Lightning nodded, "So, this woman we're going to see. Paddra Nsu-Yeul?"

"Is Yeul of the Nsu Clan from Paddra." Fang finished before adding, "Vanille's from here too, she's also from Oerba, from the Dia Clan."

Lightning nodded, "So what brought you to Cocoon."

Fang's faced darkened, "The war, our parents were killed because of the war; I went up to fight, but I couldn't leave Vanille behind, so I brought her with me and made sure she was safe."

Lightning sighed, everything, all the sadness and loss seemed to stem back to the war, and to PSICOM. Finally they arrived at a large purple tent that stood out from the slightly more modern buildings around it, Fang smiled.

"We're here." She announced before knocking on the small post next to the flap, no answer so Fang shrugged and pushed the flap back, heading inside, Lightning followed.

The interior of the tent was sparsely furnished, several cushions on the floor served as seats, there was a low table in front of the largest cushion. Behind that was a large screen which seemed to divide the tent into two sections. Just behind the screen they could make out the shadows of two figures who appeared to be conversing quietly, finally the taller of the two figures turned and walked away, his shadow disappearing. The shorter figure turned around and walked out from behind the screen. The girl that stepped out couldn't have more than nineteen; she was rather pale and had long steel blue hair which was pulled back, except for two bangs framing her face, she also had light blue eyes. She was dressed in a simple bluish white skirt that reached midway down her thighs and a white elegant sleeveless blouse as well as simple yellow shoes and several articles of Pulse jewellery, she also wore a white semi-transparent veil over her face, held in place by a silver circlet on her forehead. Fang smiled and greeted her warmly.

"Yeul, long time no see."

Yeul nodded and sat down on the large cushion behind the low table, gesturing for Lightning and Fang to sit on the two set before the table. They did so and Yeul fixed them with a blank yet piercing gaze. She first gazed at Fang who sat smiling, then at Lightning who kept her face blank as usual. Finally Yeul spoke.

"Welcome, Claire Farron." Lightning started, Yeul knew her real name, "How did you…?"

Yeul simply gazed at Lightning as if the answer should be obvious, and Lightning realized that it was, Yeul was a seeress, she could easily determine her real name.

Fang cocked an eyebrow at Lightning and smirked, "Claire, huh?"

"Not one word to the others," Lightning snapped, Fang shrugged, "Of course not, my lips are sealed, now, about why we're here."

Yeul nodded and replied, "Yes, you seek the Eidolons."

They both nodded and waited for Yeul to tell them how to find them.

Yeul then looked down at the table, on it was a map of Pulse, slowly she picked up a small bag and shook it lightly. She then whispered something and suddenly her eyes snapped open.

"Show me you are worthy, show me if you have 'The Sign'." She said suddenly.

Lightning was confused but Fang understood. Fang removed the hooded top she had worn that day and showed Yeul the tattoo on her upper right arm. Lightning finally understood and unzipped her jacket and pulling down the collar of her shirt to show Yeul her tattoo. Yeul nodded, satisfied and the girls sat back.

"Good, now I can show you." With those words Yeul emptied the contents of the bag which turned out to be unusual rainbow coloured stones onto the map.

Yeul laid her hands over two of the stones and muttered something, the stones then suddenly transformed into lights which shot towards Fang and Lightning.

"Those lights…will guide you to the altars where the Eidolon's slumber. Be warned, this is not for the faint of heart, the Eidolon's will not yield to anyone except those who can impress them, there will be a plaque within each altar, only the person who can claim the Eidolon can read the plaque, it will tell you the name of the Eidolon and also what they want you to do."

They nodded after Yeul finished her explanation and, after thanking her, left the tent and Paddra village before returning to the Archylte Steppe.

As they returned the light that ha joined with Lightning suddenly flared and began floating off.

"Guess we better follow it, looks like we're getting your Eidolon first." Fang stated matter of factly.

Lightning nodded and they followed the light across the Archylte Steppe. The monster had come out to play now so they were forced to fight their way through, as well and avoid some of the stronger ones. Finally they arrived at a large shrine that the light darted into before disappearing.

"Looks like this is it," Lightning commented as she and Fang climbed the steps and entered the altar. There was a pedestal at the back of the altar; on it was a large statue of a massive, humanoid figure clad in white and black armour with gold accents and a matching helmet, hanging down its right hand side was a white cape. In its left hand it held a large white and black shield with a gold, green and blue coloured design on it. In its right hand it held a large curved, jagged white sword with black and gold accented designs. Lightning stepped forwards and saw the inscription; Fang saw it too but couldn't make out a word of it. Lightning knelt down and read the description aloud.

"My name is 'Odin'," She read, "I yield only to those who fight diligently and heal their injured comrades. Challenge me and I will accept, you will be placed under a life stealing curse and have until the last of your life force is robbed by this curse to impress me. Do so and I shall yield, fail and you shall die."

As Lightning said the last word she heard something, movement. She leapt back and drew out her Blazefire Sabre; Fang readied her spear at the same time. The large statue which Lightning realized was Odin itself had come to life. He leapt down from the pedestal and flourished his sword.

"Prove yourself to me," He said as Lightning and Fang assumed their battle stances.

"Get ready," Lightning said, Fang nodded, "Right behind ya."

Odin then stepped forwards and assumed his battle stance. Lightning glared.

"Here he comes!"

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><p>End of chapter, ooohh, evil cliffhanger, next up is the Eidolon battles themselves :) What do you think? Hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	8. Battles to the Death

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

****Chapter 8 of my Final Fantasy story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**TheWarrior12: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, I thought it would be the easiest way to describe the whole concept of Doom being cast on a character.  
>Lady-Blizzard: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, here's the next chapter :)<br>Beloved Nightmare Union: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, they have their L'Cie brands but they have different meanings in this, but are still the source of their magic, and no, Lightning is 17 as I said in the first chapter :)**

****Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: Battles to the Death<strong>

Before any move could be made Odin waved his arm and a dark aura struck Lightning. She suddenly felt an unpleasant sensation; it felt as if she was growing weaker and weaker by the second.

'_A death curse, this is what it meant.'_ She thought desperately, _'So I've gotta impress him, before it's too late.'_

She turned to Fang, "Okay, we've gotta keep attacking him and I've gotta heal you when I get hurt, it's the only way."

"Great, and all the while you're dying," Fang replied, "Let's go, right behind you."

With that Lightning charged, Fang joined in the attack. Odin however also attacked, his large sword swinging down, striking at Fang. Fang narrowly avoided the attack as Lightning delivered a blow that merely glanced off Odin's armour. He suddenly raised his arm and cast a Thundara spell; Fang was struck full on by the attack and was knocked back. Lightning leapt up and struck at Odin's helm a few times but the blows still only glanced off. As soon as she landed she cast a Cura spell at Fang. Odin suddenly stopped moving for a while, Fang and Lightning slowly backed off, confused, Lightning breathing heavily.

After a moment doing nothing he suddenly charged forwards and launched a deadly combo attack on Fang, who fought hard to dodge, block and counter the attacks, Lighting launched several Cura spells before joining in the attack. Odin then struck a powerful deadly blow into the ground, Fang dodged the attack but the tremors and debris struck her and allowed Odin to launch her into the air before casting Thundara again before jumping back, Lightning, growing weaker by the second desperately cast Cura several times before Fang leapt back to her feet. Lightning then spoke.

"I've got it, when he stops attacking and using his shield, we attack him then, we can still attack when he does but I have to focus more on healing at that point."

Fang nodded and then jumped back as Odin slammed his sword into the ground, sending up more debris. Odin went to attack again when Lightning suddenly jumped in the way and pushed his blade aside, Odin raised his shield and they both charged him and attacked several times using their weapons as well as casting Fira and Blizzara spells. Odin attacked again slashing several times at Fang, Lightning continually cast healing spells. Breathing heavily Lighting glared at Odin.

"Is this not enough for you, I've done what you asked." Lightning gasped at Odin, forcing herself to stay upright.

Odin paused and raised his arm again, a wave of white light covered Lightning and the feeling of dying disappeared, Odin then planted his sword into the ground, he turned to face Lightning and then spoke.

"I...Yield."

With that he transformed into his alternate form, a white armoured horse, his sword flew into the air, a duplicate was formed and Lighting leapt onto the horse and grabbed the blades. There was a flash and Odin disappeared, having fused himself to Lightning.

Lighting breathed heavily, surprised at the incident. Fang walked over to her and helped her up.

"You alright?" She asked, Lightning nodded, "Yeah, c'mon, we've still gotta go get your Eidolon."

Fang nodded grimly and they left Odin's shrine. As they stepped out onto the grassy plains of the Archylte Steppe, the light granted to Fang by Yeul began glowing and moving, thy quickly followed it, once again darting through the larger monsters, killing the smaller ones with their weapons or simple spells.

'_Well, I've got my Eidolon, just gotta get Fang's,' _She thought to herself, _'What about these other ones.'_

Lighting had noticed several other shrines spread throughout Pulse, the top of the tallest spires of each sometimes just visible. She guessed they also housed Eidolon's, she decided to wait, it was decided they would head back to Paddra and talk to Yeul before heading home. They continued until they finally arrived at another shrine, the light darted inside before fading, they were at the shrine dedicated to Fang's Eidolon. They entered, weapons drawn, ready for the fight. This time, the statue on the pedestal was a large black, purple and silver coloured mechanical dragon; he had large wings and large, sharp red claws. Once again the inscription was at the base of the pedestal, this time Lightning couldn't read it but Fang could, she stepped forwards, knelt down and read.

"I am Bahamut, the Dragon King; I will only yield to those that attack diligently, defend their comrades and weaken their enemies. Challenge me and I will accept, you will be placed under a life stealing curse and have until the last of your life force is robbed by this curse to impress me. Do so and I shall yield, fail and you shall die."

With those words Bahamut came to life and leapt of the pedestal and floated a few feet off the ground, ready for battle.

Fang assumed a guarded stance, "Okay, here we go, I'll draw his attacks and weaken him, we'll attack him together."

Lightning nodded, "Right, leave the healing to me."

Bahamut roared and immediately after striking Fang with Doom he charged at Fang, who used her Mediguard ability.

"C'mon big boy, do your worst," Fang taunted, challenging Bahamut who attacked. He launched several claw strikes and kicks, the Mediguard ability protected Fang with a semi-transparent shield when suddenly he launched a deadly whirlwind attack launching both women into the air. They flipped back to their feet and Lighting healed them as Fang launched debuffing spells one after the other.

"Deprotect, Deshell, Poison, Imperil, Slow!"

The spells struck Bahamut who roared again and suddenly launched a whirlwind attack again before launching two more attacks, Umbral Vise and Ignis. Fang quickly used Mediguard and drew the attacks towards her as Lightning jumped back and healed. They charged in and attacked rapidly, dodging the physical blows of the Dragon King. They jumped back as Bahamut roared and launched his Inferno attack. Both women ducked and dived, dodging the attack and resuming their attacks. Bahamut roared angrily and launched another whirlwind/Umbral Vise/Ignis chain but Fang defended with her Mediguard.

"C'mon, give it up; I'll deflect every attack you got."

Bahamut gave what sounded like a sigh before landing.

"I yield."

With that Bahamut assumed his Gestalt mode and Fang bonded with him. Finally both women claimed their Eidolons.

After catching their breath and healed their wounds they left the shrine and hurried as fast as they could back to Paddra. After declaring themselves they returned to visit Yeul, she was waiting for them as they walked in.

"You were successful" She stated before glancing at the screen where the large shadowy figure was visible briefly before they stepped out of sight.

"Good, there will be a time where more people will need Eidolons and they will need guidance, be ready for that time."

They both nodded and then, after saying their goodbyes they turned and left the tent and Paddra, returning to the airship where Rygdea drove them back up to Cocoon, they reported their success to Cid and were allowed to return home. It was only then that Lightning realized she had been down on Cocoon for a several hours. She returned home and was relieved to find that Serah was out, she hurried upstairs and stashed her Blazefire Sabre back in its case before heading back downstairs. She now just had to bide her time and wait, wait and see what happened, and help out when the others who required Eidolons arrived.

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><p>End of chapter, what do you think, next chapter shall see the return of the school which means, <em>Hiroshi<em>, which of course can't be good. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, read and review please.


	9. Back to School

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 9 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, not as long or as intense as the previous chapter but hopefully still good.

**Reviews**

**TheWarrior12: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yeah, I always like to do as much research as possible for my stories :)  
>bookgirl111: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, hope you continue to enjoy it :)<br>Lightarcana: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, here's the next chapter.  
>Beloved Nightmare Union: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, No, it's just speels they'll be calling out, abilities like ruina nd blitz will just be performed without any declaration.<strong>

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Back to School<strong>

It was Monday, Lightning had not heard from Fang or Cid of any developments so she assumed nothing had occurred that warranted anymore attention other than what was already known. She was now back at school, working through her classes, talking to her friends and of course avoiding Hiroshi. The creepy arrogant jerk was still pursuing her. At Lunch she sat with the others as usual and Hope, for once, went up to get his lunch himself, without any protection from the others. This time thankfully nothing happened. However it wasn't long before Hiroshi walked over to their table.

"Hey Lightning," He began, she immediately glared, "What," She snapped.

"I figured you'd have cooled off over the weekend and..."

"Don't start, I can't make it any clearer, now just get lost," She said through gritted teeth.

Hiroshi glared, "Look Lightning..." She stood up suddenly, "Let me spell it out, I'm...Not...Interested."

"Lightning c'mon, I know you don't mean that," Hiroshi said with a smug grin, "Like I said, I always get what I want, and I want you."

"And I made it clear, I don't care about your pathetic rules...I wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near you, now get lost, before I do hurt you."

Hiroshi just grunted and turned and left.

Lightning sighed and sat down, the others were looking at her, Fang, Snow and the NORA crew were smirking, Vanille and Serah looked amazed, Hope was staring at her in admiration. She ignored it and continued eating, finally Lunch was nearly over, Lightning left the group and headed to the bathroom. Before she could leave however she saw two girls standing there, she didn't recognize them however.

"What?" She asked.

"What is your problem?" One of them asked, confusing her, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't refuse Hiroshi, you do what he says if he wants you, you're his, simple as that," The other explained.

Lightning rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Yeah right, he has no right, he doesn't make the rules."

"Actually he does, he's the most popular kid in school so he..."

"Is an arrogant waste of life, just because he's popular doesn't mean you follow his rules. He has no right to control anyone, simple as that."

The girls looked at her shocked, "How dare you?"

"Very easily, because I'm not afraid to stand up to bullies who think they're better than everyone else, he's arrogant, self-possessed and a complete waste of life, if you think for a second and stop rolling over and doing what he says you'll see it for yourselves."

With that she pushed past them and left, heading for her next class.

Before she could get there however she saw Hiroshi approach and before she could say anything he grabbed her and tried to kiss her, she drove her knee into his stomach.

"What the hell!" He choked out, gasping for air.

"Don't ever do that again." Lightning growled.

He looked up at her, outraged, "What, I'm not allowed to kiss my..."

"I am not your girlfriend and I never will be, try it again and I'll hurt you in a more...sensitive area."

Hiroshi staggered back and Lightning walked off to her next class fuming.

The rest of the day passed quietly, however Lightning was still in a dark mood. Especially since at Gym everyone had finally decided to stop being subtle and asked her about the scars, she deflected the questions and her bad mood forced them to stop asking. Finally she headed outside with the others, as they arrived Lightning noticed something.

"Where's Hope?" She asked, noticing he wasn't there.

"I've not seen him." Serah replied.

Just then they heard what sounded like a scuffle coming from around the corner, they hurried over and found Hope pinned to the ground by Hiroshi, who was glaring at him.

"You never learn Estheim, well now I'm gonna make you learn!"

Before Hiroshi could do anything however Snow hauled him off Hope and pushed him back.

"Get off me you ape!" Hiroshi bellowed, Snow let him go and stepped back as Lightning moved towards Hiroshi.

"This is a new low even for you, get lost, now." She said to him, a dangerous edge to her voice.

Hiroshi shook his head, "Lighting."

She however wasn't listening to any more of his nonsense, "You have until the count of three, to run, for your life."

"C'mon, you don't' mean…"

"One," She started counting, her hand balling into a fist.

"Whoa, now hold on…"

"Two."

"Alright, I'm going." Hiroshi said defensively as he backed off before running away.

Lightning sighed and turned to Hope and helped him up.

"You okay?" She asked, Hope nodded, "I've been better?"

The group let out a relieved sigh and Lightning noticed something, the reason why Hiroshi had pinned Hope to the ground, Hiroshi had started causing trouble and Hope had fought back, she smirked, already her training was beginning to have an effect. When they rejoined the group they all decided to head for the Sazh's diner.

They arrived and found Sazh behind the counter, he looked up and smiled.

"Welcome back guys, got your usual table and usual orders all set up." He greeted them; they thanked him and headed off to their table.

Sazh watched them and narrowed his eyes when he saw Lightning. He turned and headed into the kitchen.

"Edna, that's Snow and the group here again," He told his wife, she smiled, "I'll bring their orders right out."

"Thanks, I gotta make a phone call, I'll be right back."

With that Sazh headed out the back and took out his cell phone and dialled a number.

"Hey boss, yeah, she's just walked into the diner, hanging out with them again…Okay, got it, I'll keep my eyes open, she's safe with them, got it."

With that he hung up and returned to the diner.

Lightning and the others were talking about their upcoming plans, the school would soon be closing for the summer, Fang and Gadot would be graduating. Lightning decided now would be a good time to talk to Hope.

"Hope, you did a good job trying to defend yourself."

Hope sighed, "But he still managed to beat me." Lightning nodded and then continued, "Which is why I think we should continue training you the way we have been over the summer."

Hope smiled, "That's actually a great idea, my parents and I usually take our summer vacation in Bodhum anyway, so I should be able to come along at anytime."

After making their plans the group left the diner and returned home, Lightning bracing herself for another sleepless night.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please :)<p> 


	10. Victim No More

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 10 of my Final Fantasy story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**TheWarrior12: Thanks, glad you are really enjoying it, Hiroshi is just as bad in this chapter, but it's in the next chapter that he reaches his worst point.  
>Beloved Nightmare Union: I actually plan all my chapters out before I even start the story, that last chapter was intended to be short and done like that, glad you enjoyed it anyway, thanks.<br>The Light to all Fears: Thanks, glad you are really enjoying it, hope you continue to do so, that shall be revealed later in the story :)  
>seeker of the skies: Thanks, glad you are really enjoying it, hope you continue to do so :)<br>Lightarcana: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, here's the next chapter :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: Victim No More<strong>

Three months had passed since the group had spoken at the diner, summer vacation had come and gone, it was now August 2 APW. True to their promise Lightning and Hope spent as much time as possible at the gym, Hope was now filling out and gaining more muscle and, under Lightning's careful tutelage more confidence. They were back at school, the only difference now was that Fang and Gadot had graduated and no longer came to the school; this of course meant that Vanille had to pass the time in school without her girlfriend. Especially after they had spent a romantic summer vacation together as Vanille put it. It was the first day back, given that the number of nightmares she suffered from had declined over the summer Lightning was in a fairly good mood as she walked with Snow and Serah to their English class. Lightning had changed a little over the summer, her interaction with the others had allowed her to be a bit more social, she still kept her past to herself and refused to tell anyone about her nightmares but she spoke more and was more likely to start conversations rather than just joining in.

They headed into the English class and sat down in their seats and waited for the teacher to arrive. He finally did arrive and he was not alone. Accompanying him was a young man about eighteen. He had unruly shoulder length brown hair and blue eyes, he was dressed casually, simple jeans and T-shirt, the teacher called for attention and then spoke.

"Everyone, this is Noel Kreiss, he is new here, I hope you'll make him feel welcome."

After some murmured introductions Noel was directed to the only empty seat, next to Serah and Snow. He turned to them and smiled.

"Hey, the name's Noel Kreiss," He introduced himself.

"I'm Serah, Serah Farron, this is Snow Villiers."

Snow smiled, "Hey," He greeted cheerfully, Noel smiled and nodded and then turned his gaze towards Lightning, she nodded, "Lightning Farron, Serah's sister."

"Pleasure," Noel replied with a smile.

The introductions over they quickly befriended Noel and after English they headed off to their next classes, Noel also had History and so Lightning showed him the way. As they walked Noel turned to Lightning.

"So, how long have you been here?" He asked casually.

Lightning shrugged, "Not too long, I started in May, just back from summer vacation."

Noel nodded slowly before finally asking.

"So, who else do you know, apart from Serah and Snow?"

Lightning paused for a minute before finally explained, "Okay, for starters I'll tell you right no, don't get any ideas around Serah, she's already dating Snow."

Noel smirked, "Thought never entered my mind, so…your other friends?"

Lightning nodded and continued, "Well there's Vanille Dia, Snow's crew called NORA, Maqui, Yuj, Lebreau and Hope Estheim."

Noel nodded again, "I see, so any other couples I should be aware of."

"Just Vanille, she's dating Fang Yun, Fang already graduated, so did Gadot, another of Snow's crew," Lightning explained while Noel listened.

Finally they arrived at the History class; Maqui was waiting outside and looked up as they approached.

"Hey Lightning...who's this?" He greeted, before looking at Noel, confused.

"Noel Kriess, I'm new here," Noel introduced himself, shaking Maqui's hand.

"Maqui, you already know Lightning and I'm guessing you came from English so, Snow and Serah?"

Noel nodded and then Lightning groaned, Hiroshi had arrived.

"Oh great, new kid, well listen up, there's some rules you should know about..." He began but Lightning cut across him savagely.

"And it not your rules so just shut up."

"Ah Light, I know you don't mean that." He said as he reached out to put his arm around her but she grabbed his wrist.

"Want me to break it, if not back off." She snapped, tightening her grip to prove her point.

Hiroshi gulped and when she let he backed off, no doubt remembering being on the receiving end of her legendary right hook. Before he could say anything else the teacher arrived and, after Noel made his introductions the lesson began as normal. Finally class was nearly at an end and they were given some time to talk. Noel turned to Lightning.

"Who was that guy, why were you fighting with him?" He asked, Lightning sighed and then explained.

"His name's Hiroshi Arikado," She said distastefully, "He's the 'most popular boy in school' and bullies everyone, especially one of my friends, Hope. He also believes, mistakenly, that I am his girlfriend, he wants me, I want to hurt him, permanently."

Noel nodded and sighed, finally the lesson was over and they headed to their next class, Noel wasn't in Physics next but one of the other students had the same subject as him so they showed him the way.

Finally it was lunch time, Lightning walked with Hope and Maqui to the cafeteria, as usual it was packed but their were able to reach their usual table where the others were sitting, it was the same as earlier but without Fang or Gadot, as such Vanille was currently on the phone to her girlfriend as the trio sat down, Noel was now sitting with the group and already seemed to be good friends with Snow and the NORA crew, it looked as if Snow's sense of humour was similar to Noel's. Hope was sitting chatting away, he was a lot more open and confident now, thanks to Lightning's training, Vanille had even complimented him on his new muscles. He headed up to get his food when Hiroshi approached him.

"Well, look at you Estheim, what, you think by bulking up you'll impress my girl," He taunted.

Hope rolled his eyes, "Shut Hiroshi, I'm not interested in your nonsense and Lightning's said it plenty of times, she's not your girl."

Hiroshi froze and glared at Hope, shocked at this comeback from the usually docile boy.

"What the, when did you get so cocky Estheim!" He snapped, angrily.

Hope hesitated briefly before sighing and finally standing up for himself.

"Forget it Hiroshi, I'm not gonna be pushed around and bullied by you anymore, you're pathetic, and a coward and I'm done with you."

Hiroshi growled and suddenly lashed out, head-butting Hope, knocking him to the ground.

Within moments Vanille and Lightning were kneeling next to Hope, checking on him, his nose was bleeding from the head butt but otherwise he was fine, he looked surprised but didn't seem to be upset. Vanille helped him to sit up and gave him a tissue to staunch the bleeding. Lightning glared up at Hiroshi, by some miracle he was still standing and not in pain, although that was probably because Serah was surprisingly holding Snow back, Snow looked to be about five seconds away from ripping Hiroshi's head off. The NORA crew were torn between helping Snow do something about Hiroshi or helping Serah restrain him. Noel watched everything unfold with wide eyes. Before any of them could do anything however a voice rang out.

"HIROSHI ARIKADO!" It was the principal, Hiroshi froze, he bravado gone, replaced by a look of fear. "This is unacceptable behaviour, my office, now!"

Hiroshi skulked off, seemingly unable to believe he had been caught. Lightning smirked at the Principal.

"Believe me now," She remarked sarcastically.

"Yes, thank you Miss Farron," He replied in a short clipped tone, "If you could take Mr. Estheim to the nurse."

Lightning nodded and helped Hope onto his feet before walking with him to the nurse, she glanced back.

"Don't worry, I got this."

They nodded and remained seated at their table, casting dark looks over at Hiroshi's group of 'friends'.

Lightning and Hope walked to the nurse's office; Hope's nose was still bleeding.

They finally arrived, Lightning knocked on the door and walked in. The Nurse, a kind grey-haired woman looked up and saw Hope's nose.

"Oh dear, come in, here, sit him down, let me take a look."

In a short while she had staunched the bleeding and provided Hope with an ice pack to ease any possible swelling, she left the room to attend to another matter leaving Hope in Lightning's care.

"You feeling alright Hope?" She asked once the nurse was gone.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay, just a little, shocked that he'd actually do that," Hope replied.

Lightning nodded slowly, "I must admit, I'm very impressed."

"Huh?"

She smiled at him, "You stood up for yourself, showed him you weren't gonna take his bullying anymore; you've shown him you're not just some target."

"Uh, Light," Hope replied, shifting awkwardly, "I ended up with a busted nose."

"But why did he react like that, because he couldn't scare you, anyway, by next time I'll have shown you how to anticipate attacks like that and how to block or avoid them."

Hope smiled too, "Thanks, that'd be great."

Finally the bell rang and they headed to their next class, both smiling, Lightning's training had toughened Hope up, he could feel it now, he was stronger, Hiroshi wasn't going to walk all over him anymore, he was a victim no more.

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><p>End of chapter. New character introduced, Noel has made his first appearance, also Hiroshi's up to his old tricks but Hope's finally stood up for himself :) Hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	11. Heroic Rescue

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 11 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Lady-Blizzard: Yeah, you bet he is, wait until you see what he tries to do in this chapter.  
>seeker of the skies: Save some of your anger, after waht he does in this chapter you'll positively hate him.<br>bookgirl111: Noel is slightly different in this story and he has been sent to the school by someone, but I'm saying no more at the moment. Thanks, glad you are enjoying it.  
>The Light to all Fears: I'm online everyday, I type and upload chapters between online job searches and such, I don't have the story all written down but I do have it all planned out.<br>Beloved Nightmare Union: Yup, he did, well, wait until you see what happens here :) Not sure exactly how long the story is going to be but I know I still have a lot to work with.  
>The Warrior12: Yup, I managed to fit him in, I like to fit as many poeple as possible in :) You're right, more drama is coming, in fact, it's right in this chapter.<strong>

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Koei.

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><p><strong>Chapter 11: Heroic Rescue<strong>

It was Thursday August 5 APW. The past three days had shown much change. Noel was able to find his way around easily now, he was close friends with the group and hanged out with Snow and the NORA quite a lot. Hiroshi seemed to have learned his lesson, Hope was no longer bullied by him and he remained in a sullen mood, although Lightning was sure he was plotting something. Of course she had bigger problems to think about at the moment.

'_Crap, crap!'_ She thought desperately to herself, she was late for class and therefore in deep trouble.

She ran through the corridors desperate to get to class before it got much later, figuring she was likely to get in less trouble if she wasn't too late. She made it to class and hurried in, the teacher looked up, his mouth a thin line and his eyes narrowed.

"So nice of you join us Miss Farron," He said sarcastically, "I hope you have a good excuse for being late."

Lightning sighed, the only reason she was late was because Serah had gotten a lift from Snow while she had decided to take her own car which had ended up with engine trouble and wouldn't start.

"Not really," She replied, knowing that engine trouble wasn't a good enough excuse, the teacher snorted, "I thought not, detention Miss Farron, after school."

Lightning sighed and headed for her seat, Serah, Snow and Noel looked at her with pity, she sat down and sighed again.

Until the end of the lesson, when they were allowed to talk, no one said anything. Finally they were allowed to talk and the others turned to Lightning.

"Save it guys, I don't wanna hear it." She said quickly, Serah shook her head, "But Light,"

"It's fine, don't worry about it," She replied and they knew she wasn't going to say anything else about it.

Finally the lesson ended and they headed for their next classes, Lightning was in a black mood for the rest of the day thanks to this detention. Throughout the day she remained in a dark mood and none of the others dared try to cheer her up, even Hope, although she seemed to be a bit more relaxed at lunch, and for the rest of the day she spoke occasionally but remained angry whenever someone mentioned the detention. Luckily Hiroshi didn't try to bother her all day, although the look on his face told her he had something planned, but she wasn't in the mood to deal with it. It was the end of the day, an annoyed Lightning stalked to her English class, the others had already left, luckily her car remained in the parking lot so she could still get home. She entered the English classroom, the teacher looked up.

"Ah yes, Miss Farron, sit down please."

She headed over to the first available seat and sat down.

It was almost a full hour and a half later when Lightning was finally let out of detention, the school was almost completely deserted.

'_Honestly, he makes me stay behind so long, detention is only supposed to last an hour, not an hour and a half,'_ She thought bitterly until it suddenly dawned on her, _'I was half an hour late, so he added that time onto the usual hour, sneaky.'_

Shaking her head at what seemed to be the English teacher's personal quirk she began to walk through the deserted corridor, heading for the exit. Suddenly someone grabbed her from behind.

"What the fu..." She began but was cut off by the figure clamping their hand over her mouth.

"Such language doesn't become you Light," She froze, it was Hiroshi, he sounded angry.

She struggled but Hiroshi was too strong, keeping his hand over her mouth he dragged her into a nearby empty classroom that he had obviously been hiding in. Once inside he kicked the door shut behind him and threw her onto the ground, pinning her down.

Get off me you sick freak!" She yelled as he grabbed her arms.

"You just keep denying the truth Lightning, lying to yourself, I'm not gonna take no for an answer anymore" He growled viciously at her, "I'm gonna make you see just what you're missing, then you won't be able to deny I'm the perfect one for you."

By this time Hiroshi had tied Lightning's hands behind her back using his belt.

"Fuck you, like I'll ever..." Lightning snapped back but was cut off by him shoving a scrap of material into her mouth.

"Now, time for some fun," He remarked with a lewd grin as he undid her belt and pulled her jeans off.

'_No God, no, please, not again!'_ Her thoughts went into overdrive with terror as he did this and she froze up, her fear taking control of her.

Hiroshi smirked, "Trust me Light, you'll love this."

Lightning was frozen with fear, having flashbacks to her horrific suffering two years ago, a horrific incident which made her torture even more horrific for her. Hiroshi ran his hands up her legs and then gripped her underwear, he smirked as he prepared to pull them down when suddenly he grunted and fell to his right, his eyes rolling up into his head as he hit the ground, unconscious.

Lightning stared, wide-eyed in shock at Hiroshi strange action until she saw, to her surprise, that Hope was there, untying her hands and puling the material out of her mouth.

"Light, are you okay?" He asked, panic evident in his voice.

She realized she was shaking, she had been that badly affected by both the ordeal and the unwanted memories of her past.

"I-I'm fine, I'll be alright, just give me a minute," She replied, shakily.

Hope stepped back and, glaring as he did so, checked Hiroshi, who was definitely out for the count. Lightning pulled her jeans back on and breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to Hope, regaining her composure.

"You knocked him out?" She remarked surprised, "How did you...?"

She got her answer when Hope sheepishly held up a rather heavy looking Physics textbook.

"It was the first thing I grabbed," Hope muttered, looking embarrassed, Lightning smiled, "It got the job done, nice one."

Hope smiled and nodded, "What are we gonna do about him?"

Lightning glared and then shook her head, "We report this to the Principal and the Guardian Crops Police Force."

Hope nodded and they left Hiroshi unconscious in the room.

They quickly headed to the principal's office and reported the attack, he immediately called the police. They sat and waited for the police to arrive, Lightning was aware that she was trembling again and forced herself to try and remain still, the Principal was out of the office at the moment, waiting for the police to show up. Hope noticed Lightning's trembling and hesitantly reached out and touched her shoulder.

"Light, are you sure you're okay?" He asked concerned.

She started but then relaxed, "I'll be fine okay, I was just, shaken by what happened." She explained, not wanting to talk about the incident from two years ago, it still gripped her with icy fear. She also felt something else, a feeling of pride at Hope's brave actions and...something else.

'_What is this strange feeling,'_ She thought to herself, disturbed, _'I feel this strange...warmth when I think of Hope, but, surely I can't be...I can't have...feelings for him, surely.'_

Finally the police arrived and it soon turned out that Hiroshi had woken up, found Lightning gone and had gone looking for her. The police heard from Lighting, Hope about what happened and from the Principal about what he knew. They then found Hiroshi and he was arrested and taken away. As they were leaving Lightning turned to Hope.

"What were you doing here so late?" She asked, He shrugged, "After school study group, the Physics test coming up,"

Lightning raised an eyebrow, Hope felt he needed extra studying for the test, when he was clearly much better at it than even her. They were at Lightning's car and Lightning suddenly felt like she didn't want Hope to leave.

"Well, I've gotta hurry and get the next train home." Hope said, Lightning then smiled, "How about I give you a lift."

Hope agreed, he got in the car and Lightning drove him to the train station, they were both quiet, Hope worried about Lightning's well-being and Lightning about the strange feelings stirring in her chest. Finally she dropped him off and drove home, still distracted.

She parked her car and got out, before quickly heading inside, Serah was waiting for her.

"Light, are you okay?" She asked, noticing her sister's distraction.

Lightning sighed and told Serah about everything that had happened, including Hope's rescue.

"Wow, that's, are you sure…?" Serah seemed lost for words, Lightning managed a small smile, "I'll be okay Serah, thank you."

With that Lightning relaxed as Serah got busy making their dinner, she still couldn't shake the strange feelings she felt towards Hope, they had begun long before this, gradually building up the more time she spent with him, but it was only now that she was acutely aware of them and it confused her.

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><p>End of chapter, what do you think? Hiroshi has been dealt with, he might return later but this is the end of his major role. Also Lightning's feelings for Hope are starting to come to the surface :) Hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	12. Unfortunate Truths

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 12 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**ziel101: Yeah, Hiroshi is a bastard, well, he's no longer a major character so he's gone for a while.  
>Whistlewind Wolf: Yup he is pretty bad, you know you've actually given me a good idea.<br>The Light to all Fears: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, yeah I always go for the unexpected. Trust me I know what I'm doing.  
>pinkfrostedsprinkleddoughnut: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it.<br>The Warrior12: Yeah I know, trust Fang will be showing up, she does have an important role in this story.  
>Lightarcana: Yes, Hiroshi has been dealt with for quite some time, Lightning and Hope are coming together now shouldn't be much longer to wait.<br>Beloved Nightmare Union: Yeah, I actually never intended Lightnin to fight back in that chapter as I wanted Hope to be able to play the hero, and I have to tell you that you are actually right, she was, multiple times.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: Unfortunate Truths<strong>

It was Saturday 7 APW, At the Estheim Residence Hope was sitting on the sofa, watching as his mother paced, trying desperately to think. Bartholomew Estheim and Nora were heading to Eden due to a late business meeting, it was too late to arrange things so that Hope would come along but Nora was hesitant at leaving him home alone. Hope sighed, he had told her he would be fine but she hadn't listened. Bartholomew shook his head as he sat next to Hope, he had agreed with Hope that he would be fine but even then Nora couldn't help but worry. Just then the phone rang; Hope picked it up and stepped out of the living room to answer it.

"Hello?" He greeted, wondering who it was calling at this time.

"Hi Hope," It was Vanille, he smiled, "Hey, what's up?"

Vanille giggled, "I was just calling to ask you that?"

Hope sighed and told her, "Mom and Dad are going out, Mom however is hesitant to leave me at home alone, can you believe that?"

Vanille giggled again and then seemed to be distracted by something; he could hear her talking to someone in the same room as her.

"Hmm, what? That's a great idea Fang," She said and then came back to the phone, "Hope can I talk to your Mom, I've got an idea."

"Wait, what is it?" He asked, Vanille told him and he smiled and agreed. He headed back through to the living room and gave the phone to his mother, telling her it was Vanille. Hope smiled as he saw his mother listen to Vanille and, from her expression, agree with Vanille's idea. Vanille planned to invite every one of his friends over for a sleepover, that way his parents could leave and he would be able to stay at the house without Nora worrying.

So, about twenty minutes later there was a knock at the door and Nora went to answer it. The awkwardness between Hope and his father was as thick as ever and neither could even make eye contact with each other. They could hear the muffled conversations as Nora returned with the people who had arrived. She walked into the room with Fang and Vanille.

"Hey Hope," Vanille greeted with a smile, Fang also smiled and nodded in greeting. A few minutes later there was another knock at the door, Nora answered it again and saw Snow and Serah, along with Lightning and Noel.

"Hi Mrs. Estheim," Snow greeted, smiling.

Nora smiled and nodded, "Snow, Serah, good to see you again, where's the others?"

Serah answered, "They couldn't make it, they all had to work late." Nora nodded and then turned to look at Lightning and Noel.

"And who are these two?" Serah introduced them, "This is my sister Lightning and our friend Noel."

"Nice to meet you," Noel greeted, Lightning nodded politely in greeting. Nora welcomed them and stepped back to the let them in, she looked carefully at Lightning.

'_So that's the girl my son has a crush on,'_ She thought to herself as she closed the door behind them and led them through to the living room. After leaving them to their own devices Bartholomew and Nora left, heading for Eden.

Hope smiled, "Well, you guys know where everything is, except for you two," He said, referring to Lightning and Noel, "C'mon I'll show you."

He showed them around while the others made themselves comfortable in the living room. The others sat relaxed with the TV on, Fang and Vanille were making out in the loveseat. Snow and Serah sat on the sofa; Snow had his arm around her. As they sat Serah looked up at Snow.

"Hey Snow, I don't know if you've noticed but Light is acting a little differently lately…" Snow smiled and finished the sentence, "Yeah, and it's mostly around Hope."

Serah smirked and raised her eyebrows suggestively, "Do you think she…"

Snow laughed, "Yeah it's possibly, best not to say anything though, unless they really need help getting together."

Serah nodded, her smirk becoming playful. Finally Hope, Noel and Lightning returned and everybody gathered in the living room. They had called out for pizza and when it arrived they ate and engaged in casual conversation about school and things like that. Lightning was lost in thought; she glanced at Hope, who had ended up sitting next to her on the sofa.

_He's a lot different now from when I first met him,'_ She mused, pondering the strange stirring in her chest when she looked at him, _'He's a lot stronger now, when did this strange feeling start, could I possibly,,,'_

"Light, are you okay?" Hope asked, noting her distant look, she started and replied with a quick "I'm fine."

She prayed he didn't notice the blush that crept up on her cheeks. Finally, hours later they all got ready for bed, everyone who hadn't already seen them were shocked by Lightning's scars, visible on her shoulders and arms due to her tank-top.

"Lightning?" Hope breathed.

Only Fang's expression didn't change, she knew the story behind those scars, she knew about the torture Lightning had endured.

Lightning shook her head, "Don't ask, I don't wanna talk about it, okay."

The others reluctantly agreed and laid out the sleeping bags and stuff before settling down for the night.

They were awoken hours alter by the sound of screaming, Hope jumped up and looked around, the others were all clambering out of their sleeping bags, in shock. Finally they saw the source of the screams, it was Lightning, she was still asleep but she was thrashing around in the sleeping bag, obviously in the grips of some nightmare. Almost instantly Serah was at her side and shaking her.

"Light, Light, wake up!"

Lightning jerked awake, her arm held out defensively, and then she saw Serah and sighed.

"Serah, I, the others…" Serah put her hand on her shoulder, "It's okay, I'll explain."

Lightning nodded and stood up before leaving and heading through to the kitchen. Serah rubbed her eyes tiredly and turned to the others. Only Fang wore a knowing expression, the others were confused.

"Sorry about that guys." She said meekly, she sighed and then explained, "Lightning disappeared, a few years after our parents died, she came back two years ago, after the war ended, ever since then…she's suffered from horrific nightmares."

Snow opened his mouth but Serah shook her head, "I wanted to help her but…Lightning, you know what she's like, she actually had her room soundproofed, so I couldn't hear when she was having nightmares, she hates accepting help from people."

Vanille lowered her head and then asked, "So, you think these nightmares, have something to do with the war, Lightning, was involved in the war?"

Serah nodded, "I'm afraid so, but she won't say anything."

Fang nodded, she also knew the real reason Lightning wasn't talking about what happened, due to her being part of Caius' division in the war she was bound by a Secrecy Clause in her contract that kept the actions of that division in the shadows. As Serah continue to explain what she knew Hope slipped out and headed through to the kitchen.

He found Lightning leaning on the kitchen counter staring out the window, a half-drunk glass of water lay in front of her. He walked over to her, noticing she was trembling.

"Light, are you okay?" He asked.

She turned to face him and gave a weak smile, "I'm fine, thanks…Sorry, I just…"

Hope shook his head, "It's fine, I'm just worried about you."

Lightning nodded, "I'm fine really, thanks Hope."

Hope smiled, "Listen Light, I'm not gonna pretend to understand what you're going through but…I'm willing to listen if you have anything you wanna talk about."

Lightning sighed, _'There's that feeling again, why do I always feel it around him, and his offer?'_

That's very kind of you Hope, I'm fine, but I will consider it." She replied with a smile and she quickly downed the rest of her water before they headed back to the living room, the others were still awake and looked up as they walked in.

"Sorry about disturbing you guys, let's just, get back to sleep," She said, Serah looked up at her, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Lightning nodded and the others relaxed, they all lay down and drifted off back to sleep, all pondering this new mystery about Lightning.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	13. Tragedy Strikes

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 13 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Beloved Nightmare Union: Some of her past has been revealed yeah, but most won't be revealed for a while yet. The war actually began fifteen years prior to the story and ended two years before, Lightning joined the war at age seven, two yearsa after her parents deaths, so yes, she was and still is a child soldier.  
>TheWarrior12: Yup, not exactly a new mystery, more like the others finding out about her nightmares.<br>Lightarcana: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, here's the next chapter.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 13: Tragedy Strikes<strong>

The following morning Lightning was the first to awaken; she got out of her sleeping bag and slipped through to the kitchen before sitting down at the table. She sighed and leaned her head back.

'_So, now they all know about my nightmares,' _She let her mind wander, _'At least no one but Fang knows the full story, I'd like it to stay that way.'_

Just then her soldier sixth sense told her someone else was in the room; she looked around and saw it was Hope.

"Oh, hey Light," He greeted, surprised to see her, she smiled, "Hey, you're up early."

She glanced at the clock it was seven in the morning, the longest she had slept since the end of the war and she knew it was thanks to her brief but helpful conversation with the boy standing in front of her. Hope shifted uncomfortably for a moment and then finally spoke.

"Say Light, I never found out, what happened to Hiroshi after…" he trailed off as Lightning's eyes clouded over at the mention of that incident, she shrugged and answered.

"From what I heard he's been imprisoned, I don't know how long."

Hope nodded and a few minutes later the others woke up, once everyone was fully dressed again they all prepared to talk about their plans for the day.

While they were talking the phone rang, Hope hurried over and answered it.

"Hello?" The voice at the other end wasn't one he recognized.

"Hope Estheim?" He was puzzled and responded hesitantly, "Yeah."

"I'm calling from the hospital; your parents were involved in a car crash."

It was like a punch to the gut, Hope's entire body sagged and he had to grab the nearby counter to keep himself upright, he could feel the others eyes watching him. He swallowed and finally found the courage to ask, "Are…Are they going to be alright?"

The silence that greeted his question was not encouraging, until finally the doctor answered.

"Your Mother has been brought in with serious injuries she is in a coma…Your Father was declared dead at the scene."

There it was again that sickening feeling like a punch to the gut, his breathing came out ragged and he felt tears stinging his eyes.

"I…I'll be right…there."

He hung up and turned to see the others staring at him, he swallowed and told them about what happened, there were gasps of horror and sadness, almost immediately Lightning offered to drive him, he agreed and soon they were out of the house and driving away to the hospital.

It was like a dream, he felt oddly detached as he walked down the corridor to the mortuary. Like he was watching what was happening but not involved after being asked to identify his Father's body, which he did so, still feeling detached. Finally he was allowed to go to his Mother's hospital room; Lightning never left his side for a moment, even going into the mortuary with him while the others waited outside. Lightning watched Hope's face, seeing so many familiar expressions, the deep sorrow in his eyes, the blankness in his face, the way he opened his mouth and then closed it again, as if he couldn't figure out the words. His brain was still trying to process everything that had just happened at once, and he couldn't keep up, leading to a feeling of detachment and disorientation. The full impact of it hadn't hit him yet, that was when the tears and sorrow would start, he knew this well, it was the same as her…the same as Serah when their parents were killed. She watched as Hope collapsed into the chair next to the bed, she stood and watched as slowly it all came crashing down. He finally burst into tears, his face in his hands as he cried. Lightning walked over and, unsure, she laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Hope…"

"L-Light, I…I…"

She shook her head, "It's alright, I know…I know what you're going through, I know what it's like."

He snorted and looked up at her, "Yeah right," He snapped.

Lightning sighed, she knew Hope was hurting so she didn't respond to the pain his comment caused, instead, she took a deep breath and explained, sympathized.

"Hope, you've lost your Father, you're Mother still has a chance…Serah and I are orphans," She choked as the memories came back to her; Hope stared at her in shock at this revealed truth.

She swallowed and continued, "They were killed by PSICOM soldiers during the war…I was five, Serah was only four."

It was Lightning's turn to cry and hope hurried over to her.

"Light, I'm sorry…I had no idea."

Lightning shook her head, "Nobody but Serah does know…now they all do."

Outside the room Serah was crying against Snow's chest as he held her, Lightning's revelation had also brought her memories of the incident to the surface. Vanille and Noel were watching her sadly; Fang had bowed her head and closed her eyes, controlling her emotions as much as possible.

Just then Lightning's phone vibrated.

'_Damn, talk about bad timing,' _She thought bitterly.

"Light?"

"I'm okay Hope, go, stay with your Mom, I'll be back, this is urgent." She told him, he nodded and headed back to the chair.

Lightning left the room, nodded to the others, gave Serah a sympathetic smile and then answered to the phone.

"What is it?" She remarked tersely.

"I heard what happened Lightning," Cid said, still businesslike. "I need you to separate your personal life and your work, especially for now."

Lightning sighed, "Okay, what is it?"

"There have been a spate of disappearances in Bodhum lately; I need you to investigate the source."

Lightning nodded, she had heard about the recent disappearances but did not see how it involved her.

"Why are you asking me?" She questioned him, Cid paused and then revealed, "We have reason to believe that there is some well-organized group behind this, we'll need someone with your skills to shut them down."

Lightning sighed, "Alright, I'll take care of it, but the second I'm done…I'm coming back to the hospital."

Cid agreed and Lightning hung up. She headed back over to the room where Nora was being kept and found the others still outside.

"I have to go, something important has come up," She said to the others.

They didn't question her, they knew better now, Fang seemed to already know what was going on and nodded, Lightning left and hurriedly drove home to pick up her Blazefire Sabre before heading to carry out the mission.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	14. Shocking Return

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 14 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**bookgirl111: Well, read on to find out.  
>Lightarcana: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, Fang is very composed.<br>Beloved Nightmare Union: Yup she was and that's right. I've not played all of FFXIII-2, I personally love the fact that Serah became main character although I do wish Lightning was given more play time.  
>The Light to all Fears: Yup, glad you are enjoying it, Nora's survival is simply becasue I wanted to give her a chance to live, I don't dislike Bartholomew in any way but the main point in this story was the fact Hope hadn't sorted things out with him before his death, doubling the loss.<strong>

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Fina Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 14: Shocking Return<strong>

Lightning, her Blazefire Sabre strapped to her waist, headed for the Bodhum back alleys. By working her way through the alleys she would come out at the area of town where the disappearances had been occurring. It did not take her long since she didn't run into anyone while in the alleys, so little obstructed her. She braced herself as she stepped out of the alleyway and into the main street. She was in the poorest, seamiest most depraved and run-down area of Bodhum. The side the resort tourists didn't see, here criminals and all manners of lowlife had power and greater authority and voice than a Guardian Crops officer. Luckily Lightning had had the presence of mind to wear her oldest and most worn set of clothes, so, apart from her weapon, which looked rich and fresh; she was able to blend into the crowd. She knew that the right look was important and therefore rolled up the sleeves of the shirt so the scars on her arms were visible, that would give the crooks something to think about. Knowing that they were hotbeds of information if she could avoid the brawls she headed for the nearest club.

It was late afternoon so the club had only been open for at least an hour, as such there weren't too many people, but soon it would be packed. Right now a brawl seemed unlikely to happen so Lightning decided to take advantage of the moment and walked up to the bar sitting down. The man behind the bar looked up and asked her noncommittally what she wanted to drink, she ordered her drink and once he set it down she picked it up and took a sip. She wasn't worried; thanks to her gift of magic it was impossible for her to get intoxicated on such a weak alcoholic beverage. Her body broke it down before it had a chance to take effect; it took strong liquor to get her drunk. She weighed her chances and decided to ask.

"I heard someone else disappeared last night," She said, making it sound like a casual question. The bartender looked at her with narrowed eyes before sighing, "Yeah, that's the tenth this week."

A rough looking man almost as tall as Snow and with muscles to rival him with tattoos up both arms sat down next to her.

"Yeah, those scumbags don't care who they take, but we're the popular targets…because no one cares what happens to us." He growled before adding, "These creeps, whoever they are, took my Brother three days ago."

Lightning nodded, "Where did all this happen anyway?"

The man sighed, "They always snatched them from the small square, west of here."

Lightning nodded and downed the rest of her drink, paid the bartender and then left, just in time, as she got out the door she stepped to the side as a large throng of people surged in. Once they were gone she headed to the square mentioned by the thug, hoping to catch sight of these kidnappers.

She walked to the square, there weren't many people in it now since most were in the clubs. She stopped in a shadowy corner and watched, waiting for any sign. As she waited she felt her phone vibrate, she answered it.

"Hello," She greeted the caller quietly, it was Cid.

"Lightning, I know I said keep your personal life and your career separate but I thought you'd like to know. The Estheim boy has gone home, the neighbours agreed to watch him, his Mother's condition is improving but she's still unconscious."

"What about the others?" She asked, quietly relieved that Hope was alright and that Nora was improving. Cid answered, "They went home; at least that's what Fang told me."

Lightning nodded, "Thanks, okay, I've gotta get back to work."

She hung up and continued to observe. It was much later that she saw it, a young man was on the opposite side of the square who was walking by, minding his own business when he was suddenly grabbed and a hood thrown over his head and a group of shadowy people grabbed him and began to disappear down the alleyway, she immediately pursued them. She was itching to save the young man but first she needed to ascertain the identity of the kidnappers.

She followed them through the alleyways for some distance until they came to an almost deserted beach area, resting on the shore was a large airship, standing outside were several figures dressed in a similar fashion to those in who had kidnapped the young man. Lightning stared in disbelief at this group of people, she recognized those uniforms. They were all dressed in identical grey battle-suits with red armoured plate, they wore helmets similar to their armour, each one carried a machine gun.

'_PSICOM,'_ Lightning thought to herself in shock, _'But that's impossible, they were dissolved two years ago, what are they doing here?'_

Just then a man stepped forwards; he was dressed in a black PSICOM uniform with silver decoration and brown belts connecting parts of his uniform, he also wore black boots, as for the rest of his appearance it was hidden behind a mask. When he spoke his voice was distorted, most likely by some device in his mask.

"Good, get him on board immediately, we'll need him for our experiments," The figure said and Lightning glared, _'Still conducting those experiments, I've gotta stop this.'_

She leapt out, pulling out her Blazefire Sabre in its gun mode; she opened fire and the three who had grabbed the young man fell dead instantly. The masked man glared.

"Interfering fool, how dare you, a Guardian Corps soldier, deal with her!" He yelled as he jumped onto the airship, sending soldiers down to fight.

They charged in but Lightning swiftly switched her weapon to its sword mode and charged in, launching a few fire spells for good measure. She then leapt into the middle of the group and spun around, her sword held out at arms length sending out a wave of circular energy, killing nearly all of them. The last three opened fire on her but she deflected the bullets and launched several Ruin spells to kill them all and turned to face the others.

'_Good, not lost my touch, I can still deal with them,'_ Lightning thought grimly to herself, _'But those were just the weaklings…The rest of them are stronger.'_

She glared at the masked man who shook his head angrily, "Curse you," He spat before signalling to the pilot of the airship which took off and left.

She sighed and turned around, the young man was gone, he had run off, she pulled out her phone and called Cid; once he answered she delivered her report.

"Cid, what the hell is going on here," She snapped, "Those kidnappers were PSICOM soldiers, I thought they were destroyed."

"Are you certain?" Cid asked, he sounded tense, Lightning shook her head, "I'm pretty familiar with their uniforms, they were kidnapping people to use in experiments, yeah, I'm pretty sure it's PSICOM."

"This is disturbing," Cid said darkly, "There must be pockets of them left, operating in secret, I'll continue the investigation into Dysley, but this will have to be looked into too."

Lightning agreed and Cid relieved her of duty, she hung up and immediately hurried home. When she arrived she heard Serah out the back, tending to the small garden. She took advantage of her sisters absence to slip upstairs, place her Blazefire Sabre in it's case, return the case to its place beneath the bed and got changed into some more normal clothing and headed back downstairs. She stepped out into the garden; it was small but beautifully maintained thanks to Serah's tender care.

"Hey," She greeted casually, Serah looked up and smiled, "Hey Light, I take it you heard everybody went home?"

Lightning nodded, Serah pondered for a moment and then sighed, "Light, I thought you should know, Hope is going to be in school tomorrow and then after school he's gonna go straight to the hospital."

Lightning nodded and headed back inside, she picked up her cell phone and called Hope.

"Hi Light," He greeted he the same way he always did, so he was obviously doing okay.

"Listen Hope, I just thought I'd ask you, after school tomorrow, do you want me to drive you to the hospital."

"Are you sure?" He asked, confused, Lightning confirmed and he agreed, "Thanks Light, I appreciate it."

With that they hung up and Lightning sat down at the kitchen table smiling to herself, although inside she was pondering that strange feeling inside her chest again.

'_It's not going away, I just…don't understand it,' _She thought to herself, more confused than ever.

She decided to put it to the back of her mind for now and worry about sometime when she was better prepared to deal with it.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	15. Confusion

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

****Chapter 15 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**SquallRocks: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, here's the next chapter.  
><strong>**Beloved Nightmare Union: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, Lightning will get tangled with PSICOM again, but I'm not saying how.  
><strong>**The Light to all Fears: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, well, I have something in store for Hope and Lightning, just wait and see.  
>Lightarcana: Thanks, glad you are loving it, here's the next chapter, enjoy.<br>TheWarrior12: Thanks, glad you liked it, here's the next chapter.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15: Confusion<strong>

It was Monday 9 August 2 APW. Hope walked into the school; the others were waiting for him when he arrived.

"Hey," Noel greeted cautiously Hope nodded and gave a weak smile, "Hey guys."

There was an awkward silence for a while until finally Serah asked.

"So, um...How's your Mom, is she...?" She hesitated but Hope smiled, "She's getting better, they don't know how long it'll take but she's gonna make a complete recovery."

The others smiled, "That's great," Snow reassured him, before they could say anything else the bell rang and they headed to their first class, Lightning heading for English with Snow, Serah and Noel. As they arrived she spotted a girl outside the class with the others, she had seen her several times since school had started back up but never paid attention to her, yet she seemed to stand out now. The girl looked to be around the same age as Serah, she had short blonde hair and blue eyes, she was dressed in a denim knee length skirt, a grey tank-top; black jacket and brown boots that reached halfway up her shins. Lightning narrowed her eyes, wondering why the girl stood out now and then finally realized that the girl had been watching them as they were standing talking before the bell rang, she had been watching them, or more specifically Hope, very closely.

_What's her problem?'_ Lightning pondered before shaking her head, _'It's none of my business, so she was watching us, big deal.'_

Despite telling herself this she felt strange, like the fact the girl had been watching Hope intensely made her some kind of threat.

'_I'm being ridiculous, focus on the day ahead Light,'_ She told herself, concentrating as she entered the class, the girl entered ahead of them and as Lightning looked at the back of her head she pondered on who the girl actually was, she didn't even know her name.

English and History passed fairly quickly; Lightning remained focused although she was still confused about the girl. She was also pondering her own strange feelings, especially towards Hope.

'_It's strange, I can't believe this feeling, could I really have feelings for Hope,'_ She shook her head, _'No, that's ridiculous, even if I did, I couldn't do anything about it...I shouldn't, Hope's safer if I just stay his friend, but I feel so...'_

Her distracted thoughts were cut off when she heard Hope's voice, "Light, you okay?"

She shook herself out of her trance, "I'm fine thanks," She replied, embarrassed that Hope had caught her off guard. They were outside their Physics class; none of the others were here yet.

"So, Hope...How's your day been so far?" She asked concerned. Hope shrugged, "Not bad, nobody but you guys know what's happened so they've not been bothering me."

Lightning nodded and then Hope spoke again, "I'm gonna go see Mom when school's over." Lightning smiled and then offered, "Do you want me to drive you to the hospital."

Hope looked up at her smiling, "I don't wanna waste your time Light," She shook her head, "Really it's fine."

He smiled and nodded, "Thanks, that'd be great."

Lightning nodded and the other students began arriving, including Maqui and Lightning noticed, the blonde girl from her English class. The girl smiled as she glanced over and saw Hope. Lightning glared shaking her head, _'Seriously what is up with her, that's the second time she's done that.'_

Before Lightning could ponder the strange feeling of anger that rose in her chest when she thought about the girl possibly looking at Hope with the intention of flirting, even though Hope seemed to be oblivious.

'_Get a grip Lightning,'_ She told herself harshly, _'Focus on what you're doing.'_

With that she sat down in her usual seat next to Hope, the girl luckily was sitting on the other side of the room so Lightning wasn't distracted.

Finally it was lunch time and despite Lightning's best efforts she was aware of the blonde girl staring at Hope for nearly the entire Physics class and could feel her eyes on him as they walked to the cafeteria. Lightning's strange feelings were growing stronger and she had to force herself to keep calm. Finally when they sat down at their usual table the girl finally turned away and headed to her group of friends, Lightning relaxed slightly and fully focused on the others.

"Hey, you guys," Vanille suddenly piped up, "This Saturday is Fang's birthday, I'm arranging a surprise party and I'm gonna need your help organizing it and everything."

The group smiled and readily agreed, Serah looked over at Lightning and noticed the way she seemed to be lost in thought, looking at Hope, she smirked and then decided to get her sisters full attention.

"Light, what do you think?"

Lightning, who had heard the conversation jumped and quickly recovered before answering, "Sure, sounds great."

Serah smiled, _'She can deny it all she wants, she's attracted to Hope, maybe she just needs a slight nudge in the right direction.'_

As she thought this she smirked over at Snow who returned her smirk and nodded. Lunch passed with Vanille doing most of the talking, planning out Fang's party, Lightning's phone vibrated, it was a text from Cid, she opened it and read.

_Suspicions confirmed, kidnappers were indeed PSICOM, investigating possibilities for their return, will inform when more information is received._

She sighed and nodded before shutting her phone and putting it back in her pocket, just as she thought, now the question still stood, how had PSICOM returned after their destruction. Luckily none of the others had noticed so she was able to act as if nothing had happened, after the bell rang they headed for their next class.

Lightning rolled her eyes when she noticed the blonde girl was in their Maths class too.

'_Just why am I so aware of her...She's not a threat, what is happening to me?'_

Lightning sighed and focused instead on what she had to do for the class. The rest of the day passed fairly quickly and soon she was driving Hope to the hospital to visit his Mother.

"So Hope, I take it no one else knows about what happened?" She asked, he nodded, "I didn't really see the point in telling anyone."

Lightning nodded and the rest of the trip was spent in slightly awkward silence until they arrived in the hospital. They left the car and headed inside and headed for Nora's ward, as they approached the door a doctor came out.

"Ah, Master Estheim, welcome." He greeted, Hope nodded, "Hi, how's Mom doing?"

The doctor smiled, "Actually she's awake, you can go see her right now."

Hope's eyes widened and he rushed into the room, Lightning followed him. Nora was awake and sitting upright in her hospital bed, she smiled as her son walked into the room.

"Mom?" Hope exclaimed rushing over and embracing her. Nora smiled and returned the embrace, "Hope, hey...you okay?"

Hope nodded and then lowered his head, "Mom...Dad is..."

Nora also lowered her head, "I know." Hope sighed, "I'm sorry Mom."

Nora shook her head sadly; Lightning sighed and left the room leaving the two to recover from their loss, she sat outside the room with her head bowed, remembering her feelings of loss when her parents died.

'_At least Hope still has his Mother,'_ She thought to herself with a sad smile.

She decided she would wait and give Hope a lift home and then head home herself, she was also still pondering the mystery of that blonde girl, wondering who she was and why she felt so wary around her.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	16. Jealousy

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 16 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**The Light to all Fears: Yeah, well, read on to see if you were right :)  
>Lightslightning: Yup she is, it goes even further in this chapter and the next few, enjoy.<br>Lightarcana: Yup, she sure is :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16: Jealousy<strong>

It was Tuesday, Hope was heading into school, he was smiling, his Mother had been released from the hospital last night and was now back home. He was still saddened by his Father's death and confused over his feelings towards Lightning but he was happy his Mother was okay. Just then he almost walked into someone.

"Oh sorry," He apologized and then saw it was a blonde girl, "Don't worry about it," She reassured him and smiled.

Hope then realized that he recognized her, "Hey, Alyssa, it's you."

She smiled, it was Alyssa Zaidelle, her family used to live next door to Hope years ago and they had been friends, her family moved away to Eden and that was the last he had heard from her.

"Yup, I just transferred here, I thought I saw you yesterday, but I wasn't sure." She explained, Hope smiled, "It's great to see you again."

Alyssa nodded and her smile grew, "Wow, you've really changed since the last time I saw you," She said eyeing the slight but toned muscle he had built up working out with Lightning at the gym.

Hope felt his face grow hot and shifted uncomfortably, "Uh, yeah."

Alyssa stepped a little closer to him, "I like it, you look good." Hope swallowed nervously, "Um…Thanks."

Alyssa giggled and stepped even closer, "Maybe you haven't changed that much, still so shy."

Hope blushed at this and then saw Lightning standing nearby.

Lightning glared at the girl who she now knew was called Alyssa. It was the same girl she had seen yesterday eyeing Hope, now it turned out she was a childhood friend of his. She was glaring because even if Hope couldn't see it she could plainly see that Alyssa was flirting with him. She felt a strong burning hatred for the girl that she couldn't explain.

'_What the hell is this feeling,'_ She thought to herself, incredulous, _'Is this…jealousy, but, that can't be right, ugh forget it.'_

She stalked over to them; Hope looked up and smiled, his face crimson, "Hey Light."

"Hey Hope," She greeted and then turned to Alyssa, "Hey, I'm Lightning," Alyssa looked at her coolly and then smiled, although it didn't reach her eyes, "Alyssa Zaidelle."

Lightning nodded but before she could comment the bell rang and Serah, Snow and Noel approached, Hope waved goodbye and hurried to his class, Alyssa walked separate from them as they all headed to English.

'_That's that girl Lightning, the one he keeps staring at,'_ Alyssa thought to herself bitterly, _'Well I can't have that, I have to get her away from him.'_

They entered English, Alyssa trying to think of a way to get rid of Lightning; Lightning meanwhile was annoyed and spent most of English seething.

'_What's that girl's problem, why do I feel like this,'_ She thought and then finally decided, _'I'll talk to Hope, see if I can…finally sort this out.'_

Satisfied with her plan Lightning decided to focus on English, she did what she was best at, compartmentalizing her thoughts and emotions.

She didn't have a chance to talk to Hope in Physics and she could feel Alyssa glaring at her, she felt unusually sitting near Hope, she felt awkward and whenever she looked t Hope her heart beat so hard it hurt and she could've sworn she was blushing. By the end of the lesson she felt hot and bothered, she excused herself and allowed Hope and Maqui to head to the cafeteria and she headed to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face trying to cool down, she dried her face and then looked up and saw Alyssa standing behind her, she turned around.

"What," She snapped, not even bothering to be polite, especially since Alyssa was glaring at her.

Alyssa stepped forwards, "You know why I'm here, Hope, stay away from him." She stated directly.

Lightning rolled her eyes, "Look, Hope's my friend, why would I stay away from a friend?"

"Yeah right, don't' lie!" Alyssa snapped, "I've seen the way you look at him!" Lightning glared, "I don't know what you…"

She was cut off, shocked at Alyssa's audacity as the girl slapped her across the face. She glared at Alyssa with such ferocity that Alyssa briefly backed away in fear before recovering.

"What the hell." She growled through gritted teeth, Alyssa then stepped towards her and spat out, "Stay away from Hope, he's mine, got it."

With that she turned and stalked off, Lightning sighed and shook her head. She left the bathroom and headed for the cafeteria still seething. She sat down at the usual table and greeted the others, making an effort to appear clam.

As she sat she glared over at Alyssa who was glaring back, she rolled her eyes. She then turned back to face the others, unfortunately Hope was sitting right in front of her so when she faced forwards her breath caught in her throat.

'_This feeling again, maybe she's right…I'll have to talk to Hope about as soon as possible.'_

Hope noticed Lightning's preoccupation and looked around and noticed Alyssa's glare.

'_Wonder what's going on, honestly it's great to see Alyssa again but…The way lightning's been acting, it's just…weird.'_

As Hope was lost in thought Lightning decided to try and talk to him now but before she could say anything the bell rang and she had to head for Maths, Alyssa was in her Maths class and wouldn't stop glaring at her. She sighed and headed to Maths immediately, ignoring Alyssa.

'_Honestly,' _Lightning thought to herself, _'She thinks she can intimidate me, she's lucky she doesn't know how strong I am, or that I let her get away with that because I wasn't in the mood for any trouble.'_

With that she walked into her Maths class and sat down. Apart from Alyssa glaring at her nothing really happened that afternoon, Biology and Gym also passed without incident. She walked out of school, Vanille and the NORA crew had already left, so had Snow as he had to hurry home. So Lightning was going to be driving Serah home, when she got outside of school however she saw Hope and Alyssa talking, laughing smiling and that burning angry feeling in her heart spiked.

"Light?" Serah asked her confused, Lightning shook her head, "It's nothing, just a minute, I need to talk to Hope."

Serah nodded and waited as Lighting walked over to Hope and Alyssa, deciding now was the time to talk to him about her feelings, before Alyssa caused any real problems.

* * *

><p>End of chapter, what do you think, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	17. Angry Outburst

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 17 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Beloved Nightmare Union: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, I had time so I thought 'why not'. That's fine, as for what happens, read on to find out.  
>Aerosophical: Yeah well, I needed it to be like this for the storyline, as for Alyssa's reaction, wait and see.<br>Lightarcana: Well, here's your answer, wait and see waht unfolds :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17: Angry Outburst<strong>

Serah watched nervously at Lightning stalked over to where Hope and Alyssa stood talking.

'_Oh please, Light stay calm, don't do anything rash,'_ Serah thought desperately, knowing that she wouldn't be able to stop Lightning even if she tried.

Lightning glared as she drew closer when she saw the way they smiled and laughed at each other. She longed to have that kind of connection with someone; she had believed she had found it only for it to be taken away from her when Caius disappeared, ever since she had hid her pain and longing beneath a mask of indifference occasionally switched to one of anger, all to hide her deep pain that had nothing to do with the torture.

"Hope," She said simply, trying to get his attention, he turned to her still smiling, Alyssa, who was now behind him glared at her.

Lightning didn't even look at her she focused on Hope, "Could I talk to you for a second, in private."

Anything you wanna say to Hope you can say to me," Alyssa cut in sharply; it took all of Lightning's willpower not to attack her right away. "This is none of your business, it's between me and Hope."

With that Lightning took Hope's arm and led him away as Alyssa stood glaring at her with such intensity it rivalled her own glare.

Finally Lightning stopped some distance away, Alyssa and Serah could still see them but they wouldn't be able to hear what was being said unless they raised their voices. Lightning let go of Hope's arm and then turned to face him.

"Light, what's going on, you've been acting strange lately," Hope sounded concerned but Lightning shook her head.

"Hope listen to me, you can't trust that Alyssa girl," She said, getting straight to the point, Hope looked shocked, "Light, what are you talking about? She's my childhood friend; of course I can trust her."

Lightning shook her head, "Hope, she may want to be…more than just friends with you and, look, just because we're close friends she saw me as a threat, she cornered me in the bathroom and started making threats, even had the nerve to slap me."

Hope shook his head, "I find that hard to believe, Alyssa couldn't threaten anyone even if she tried." He paused for a moment before adding, "Besides, even if she did, why should that be a problem?"

Lightning rolled her eyes and forced herself to remain calm, _'Relax, he wasn't there, he didn't see trying to get in my face,'_ She thought before telling herself, _'C'mon, just be diplomatic for once.'_

She composed herself and then spoke, her voice even, "Hope, if she does like you in that way, she'll want you to be with her and only her, she won't want you to be with your friends, do you really wanna be with someone like that."

Hope stared wide-eyed at Lightning but seemed unable to say anything at the moment.

Alyssa watched glaring, _'Who does that bitch think she is, if she thinks she can turn Hope against me she's dead wrong.'_

She shook her head and glared over at where Serah stood watching, _'So that's her sister,'_ She thought vindictively, _She's dating that big lug, God, both of them are slags, unbelievable, do they really think they'll get away with this.'_

Serah was oblivious to Alyssa's poisonous thoughts as she was too busy watching Lightning concerned.

'_Well, she's not hurt anyone at least, maybe she does know what she's doing…I hope so.'_ She thought to herself.

Just then her phone rang, she quickly answered it.

"Serah?" It was Snow, "I was gonna drop by but, you guys aren't home yet?"

"This isn't a good time Snow, Lightning's talking to Hope about something and…"

"Oh really," Snow remarked, sounding cheerful, Serah quickly cut across, "It's not like that, something's bothering Light, about that girl Alyssa."

She could almost see the smile disappearing from Snow's face, "Okay, I'll wait for you, let me know what happens."

Serah agreed and hung up before turning her attention back to Lightning and Hope.

Hope shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Honestly Light, you expect me to believe everything you're saying about Alyssa, just like that" He questioned, she shook her head, "Look, Hope I…"

"What do you care anyway?" He cut across her, "Don't tell me you're _jealous_ of her."

Lightning stiffened wondering how he could possibly seen that but then realized he was actually asking, he didn't know the truth, and she intended to keep it that.

"What gave you that idea," She snapped, Hope surprisingly glared at her, "Well given the way you've been trying to stop me from talking to her and the fact you're saying stuff about her that can't possibly be true."

Hope sighed and then continued, "Last time I checked girls only lie like that when they're jealous of the other girl."

"Get real, why should I be jealous, I thought I made it quite clear that…"

"I know, but honestly, the way you're acting it's unbelievable, Alyssa's my friend and you want me to stay away from her, that's not happening."

"Hope," She tried to stay as calm as possible, despite her anger, "I'm trying to stop you from making a mistake…"

"Well tough!" He suddenly yelled startling her, "I don't care, you don't control me Light, if you can't accept me being friends with Alyssa then that's too bad!"

"Hope…"

He shook his head, "I've heard enough, jealous or not, it's clear I can't trust what you say, you just wanna control me, well I'm not falling for it so just leave me alone, don't talk to me again!"

With that he stormed off, heading back to Alyssa and left with her. Neither of them broke stride but Alyssa cast a glance back and gave Lightning a smug smirk, thanking her for making things easier. Lightning stood there, caught between rage and sadness, Serah walked over to her.

"Light?" She asked cautiously but Lightning shook her head, "I don't wanna hear it Serah, let's just get in the car and go home."

With that she stalked off to the car and got in, leaving Serah to follow her and also get in, they drove home in silence.

When they arrived home they found Snow waiting for them. They got out the car; lightning walked up and unlocked the door.

"Hey," Snow greeted, Lightning simply walked inside, "Whatever."

She then disappeared upstairs, Serah walked in behind her with Snow following and closing the door.

"What happened?" He asked, concerned, Serah sat down and began to explain about the incident, Lightning and Hope's private chat, Hope's outburst and the fact that Hope had walked off with Alyssa and no longer wanted to even see Lightning.

"Damn, this, this isn't right," Snow muttered, shaking his head, "What can we do, we can't leave things like this."

Serah shook her head, "I don't know what to do, Lightning's really broken up about it, you know what she's like, hiding her real feelings."

Snow nodded and Serah continued, "We can't talk to Hope ourselves however, he'll just assume we're taking Lightning's side."

Snow sighed, "So what you're saying is…there's nothing we can do."

Serah nodded sadly.

Lightning lay on her bed, even though she refused to admit it the tear tracks on her face revealed she had been crying, how could this have happened? She tried to do one good thing and look what happens, it blows up in her face. She looked at her phone; her list of contacts had grown, apart from Serah, Caius, Cid and Amodar she now had Snow and the NORA crews numbers (accepted begrudgingly), as well as Fang, Vanille and Hope's. She continued to stare at her phone, trying to ignore the fact that fresh tears were clouding her vision. She couldn't make sense of it, she tried to help Hope but that strange feeling had been distracting her, worse still she couldn't call any of these people for help, well, except one but was it really worth the risk. She decided she would try anyway and, clearing her eyes she hit the call button on Caius' number.

"_I'm sorry; the person you are calling is unavailable."_

Lightning groaned and then prepared to smash her phone into the ground but stopped and fell back onto the bed again.

"This is ridiculous," She muttered to herself. She reached out and picked up the photo again, her family, bright and happy until tragedy tore them apart. She put it back and picked up the other photo, it was even older, and showed her Mother holding a newborn baby girl, Lightning swallowed as a lump form in her throat, the newborn girl in the picture was her, the picture was of the day she was born.

"Back when I was Claire Farron, before Lightning…before everything changed." She shook her head as she considered the name she had chosen for herself.

"I was right, I am Lightning, I destroy everything…PSICOM, Primarch Malum…Now my friendship with Hope, as well as…anything else to do with him."

She put the picture down and sighed, "I'm nothing, I just destroy everything and the one person who could fully understand me is the person I can't talk to…Because he's 'unavailable'."

She groaned and rolled over onto her back and just lay staring at the ceiling, ignoring everything, even Serah when she knocked on the door, she remained lying until her hunger was too great and she finally dragged herself downstairs, Snow had gone home Serah had just finished making dinner. Lightning braced herself but Serah didn't once bring up the fight with Hope as they ate, when she was finished she immediately retreated back to her room and stayed their for the rest of the night, wondering what new problems awaited her tomorrow.

* * *

><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it. So after a little fight Hope is angry at Lightning, how will this affect them, waht will happen next? Stay tuned to find out and please read and review.<p> 


	18. Sickening Sight

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 18 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Lightslightning: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, yeah well, wait and see what happens, it's gonna be good.  
><strong>**  
>Aerosophical: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, oh just wait, more intense stuff is still to happen.<strong>

**Otaku-Entity: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, yeah, I always make free time for a chapter or two :) Yeah Alyssa is, just wait though, Hope will see the truth eventually.**

**Lightarcana: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, yeah, chapter 19 will delve into Hope's feelings, right now it's Lightning's, you're gonna enjoying what happens in the next chapter too.**

**Beloeved Nightmare Union: Thanks, yeah Hope's not too happy at the moment, trsut me you'll see how he feels in the next chapte, right now it's Lightning's feelings that are under the microscope, so to speak.**

**Kurosaki Anne: Thanks, yeah I decided it would be interesting to switch their roles around, well this chapter and the next one will show the results of what's happened, as for Caius he will show up but only much later.**

**The Light to all Fears: Yeah I thought that would make an interesting twist, as for Caius answering the phone, yeah I figured that would be good for suspense, Caius will be a hero (he's already a legend on Cocoon due to the war), in fact Caius is important to Lightning for a special reason that will be explained in a later chapter, well, wait and see:)**

**The Warrior12: Yup he sure is, well, here's the answer, hope you enjoy it.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18: Sickening Sight<strong>

Wednesday 11 August 2 APW was a grey day with heavy rain. The weather reflected Lightning's mood, she had to go to school, and following the outburst with Hope she was extremely nervous and unsure of herself. She stepped out and got into her car, Serah climbed into the passenger seat and looked sadly at her sister, it hurt to see her in this state.

"Light," She said hesitantly, "should we get going?"

"Yeah," Lightning replied quietly and started the ignition and drove to school. They arrived at school and parked; they quickly got out and hurried into the school building. Snow and the NORA crew stood waiting for them.

"Hey," Snow greeted cheerfully, Lightning nodded and Serah walked over and embraced Snow, he saw her serious expression and nodded. Finally Vanille showed up, she looked at the others smiling but then turned to Lightning and was suddenly serious.

"Hey, Lightning, can we talk for a minute?" Lightning was surprised at this and agreed.

"What's going on?" She asked when Vanille stopped some distance away from the others. Vanille turned to her, "Listen I heard what happened yesterday...with Hope."

Lightning stiffened and her defensive reactions kicked in, "So what." Vanille shook her head, "Look, Hope will come around; he'll see he's made a mistake."

"Doubt it, not when he's got that bitch poisoning his mind."

Vanille was about to reply but stopped, Hope and Alyssa had arrived and were walking past, talking to each other, Hope didn't even look at Lightning. She shook her head and was about to walk away when Vanille stopped her.

"Listen Lightning, he's angry just now but...you know Hope loves you."

"He's got a crush, there's a difference," Lightning growled, Vanille shook her head, "C'mon, stop lying, we know you..."

Lightning rounded on her angrily, "Don't even go there, just drop it, got it!"

With that she turned and stalked off to English leaving a tearful Vanille behind.

Lightning arrived at her English class and stopped dead, Alyssa was already there, smirking at her. Lightning simply walked over and leaned against the wall, ignoring Alyssa.

"Oh Lightning, thanks by the way," Alyssa said smugly, "I thought you were going to ruin my chances but you've made Hope all available to me."

"Shut up," Lightning spat, not even looking at her, "I don't care what you have to say."

Alyssa smirked and stepped in front of her, "Oh really, because I think you do, what's wrong, upset Hope isn't with you."

"I'm seconds away from hurting you, so just shut up." Lightning growled, Alyssa smirked.

"Go for it," she taunted, "Give Hope one more reason to choose me over you," Before Lightning could retort however Snow, Serah and Noel showed up.

Lightning glared at Alyssa once more and turned away, Alyssa smiled smugly as the teacher then showed up as well as the rest of the class, they headed inside and the lesson began, Lightning fuming the whole time.

'_Honestly, does she think she's gonna get away with this,'_ Lightning thought bitterly, _'She's really pushing it now.'_

The lesson passed in silence, Lightning's angry had not abated by the end and so she left with Noel for History in a foul mood. As they walked Noel turned to Lightning.

"Lightning…" She quickly cut him off, "If this is about Hope I don't wanna hear it."

Noel shook his head, "It's not about Hope," Lightning nodded, "Good."

"It's about Vanille."

Lightning turned to him confused and then noticed he was glaring.

"I get that you're angry, but that's no excuse to take it out on her, I mean she was crying for God sake."

Lightning shook her head, "Well, I told her I didn't wanna talk about it and she persisted," Noel continued to glare; "She only wanted to help you."

"If you guys really wanna help me, then leave me alone, that'd be a big help," Lightning spat before stalking off to History, leaving Noel behind.

History passed uneventfully, Noel didn't say a word to her, neither did Maqui. She left for Physics and by the time she arrived Hope and Alyssa were already there, the teacher was there too so Alyssa didn't have to try and stir up trouble. Due to the seating arrangements Hope was still sitting next to Lightning.

"Lightning," He greeted her stiffly, no emotion in his voice.

She didn't reply and the awkwardness grew thick between them. Throughout the whole lesson hope refuses to talk to her and vice versa, by the end Lightning was already out of the class before Hope had even left his seat. She walked into the cafeteria and tried to sit at the first empty table she came to unnoticed but Serah called her over to them. She ignored them and sat down, glaring as Hope and Alyssa walked in. Lightning's anger continued to be her refuge, she knew that if she let go of it she would sink into the depression and almost unbearable loneliness she had endured for so long. She watched feeling the white hot anger and what she knew now was definitely jealousy fester as Hope and Alyssa sat down together, away from the others. Just then she noticed Snow and Serah sitting opposite her.

"What?" She snapped, Serah smiled sadly, "Light, there's no need for you to exclude yourself from us."

"Why would you guys even want me near you, I just destroy everything I get close to," She responded but Serah shook her head, "That's not true…"

Lightning cut her off angrily, "Think about what I did to Vanille."

Snow sighed, "Actually, no one really blames you, yeah Vanille's upset and she's talking to Fang about it right now but, really we all know you weren't thinking rationally."

Lightning scoffed and shook her head, "You guys don't understand, so don't try to."

Serah tried to reason with her, "Light listen, we want to help."

"Didn't Noel tell you? If you wanna help, leave me alone!"

Snow sighed and guided Serah back to their table.

Lightning rolled her eyes and leaned back in her seat.

'_Why can't they just leave me alone,'_ She thought bitterly, _'Whoever said misery loves company is clearly wrong.'_

Suddenly her phone vibrated, she picked it up and answered it.

"Fang?"

"Lightning," She tensed when she heard what sounded like anger in Fang's voice, before she could ask what was going on Fang continued, "I heard about what happened at school today."

Lightning sighed, "So, are you gonna start telling me…"

"I'm telling you that if you make Vanille cry again, I'll come over there and break your jaw, got it."

Lightning froze at this, "Fang?"

"Stop being such a wimp and stop taking your anger out on others, get help and do something about it, understand."

"Fine," Lightning replied before hanging up.

She leaned back and sighed, this day couldn't possibly get any worse, she had upset Vanille, chased away all her friends, snapped at Snow and Serah and now Fang was pissed off at her. She looked around and saw that she was wrong, things had gotten worse. Her anger spiked and she gripped the table so hard her hands were shaking, Hope and Alyssa were kissing.

'_That's it, I've had it, I'm…'_ Before she could finish her train of thought she spotted something that caused her anger at Hope to evaporate, although her anger at Alyssa increased tenfold. Hope's shocked expression and the fact he was as stiff as a board made her realize.

'_This isn't mutual, she kissed him, he wasn't expecting it, that bitch, she's going to pay for this.'_

With that Lightning stood up, determined to confront Alyssa, when something happened she did not expect.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	19. Uncomfortable Situation

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 19 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Lightslighting: Yup, trust me I can be evil with cliffhangers, here's the answer anyway, enjoy :)  
>ziel101: Actually Lightning looks at Caius in a specific way in this story, it will be revealed at the end of the chapter, don't worry about Hope, if you read on you'll see what happens. Yeah well, if you mess with Fang's girlfriend you face her wrath, simple as that :)<strong>

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19: Uncomfortable Situation<strong>

Hope sighed as he entered the cafeteria with Alyssa, while he was initially glad to see her again her topics of conversation and become increasingly uncomfortable. Add to that he was no longer angry at Lightning and was already regretting losing his temper at her, yet he was unable to apologize due to Alyssa not allowing him to have a single moment alone with Lightning. He had been stiff during Physics because Alyssa had been bad-mouthing Lightning beforehand and e could feel her eyes on them as they sat.

"C'mon Hope, let's go sit down." Alyssa said smiling sweetly, leading him to a nearby table.

"What about the others?" He asked, confused, why were they sitting away from his friends.

Alyssa laughed and shook her head, "You don't wanna sit with _them_, they'll take _her _side and you know it."

Hope groaned, Alyssa was referring to Lightning, he shook his head, "I don't see why that's a problem, I shouldn't have shouted at her."

"Hope, don't even think you need to apologize to that girl, it's her fault, she was trying to control you, you don't need her, or any of that lot."

Hope sighed and sat down next to her; he looked around and saw that Lightning was sitting separately from the others.

'_Light,'_ He thought forlornly, he knew he had made a mistake, he just wished he could fix it.

As he sat with Alyssa he saw Snow and Serah walk over and begin talking to her.

"Oh just look at that, yeah nice try," He heard Alyssa remark bitingly.

"What's wrong," He asked, "So Serah and Snow are talking to her, Serah's her sister and Snow's Serah's boyfriend."

Alyssa laughed, "Are you dense Hope, c'mon, you know she wants to sabotage us, she's trying to get them to help her."

Hope shook his head; unable to believe what he's hearing, "Light isn't like that, I hardly think…"

"Oh come on, just admit it, you know the truth, so why deny it."

Hope shook his head, Alyssa was just being paranoid. Some time passed in silence, Hope looked over at Lightning and then heard Alyssa.

"Stop looking at her Hope, honestly, don't you see what's she's doing." She snapped, Hope sighed.

"What does it matter who I look at, Lightning's my friend why shouldn't I…" Hope tried to reason with her but Alyssa snapped back, cutting across him.

"You still call her a friend; you saw what she did to you!"

Hope shook his head, "I overacted, I should apologize."

"No you shouldn't if you do then she's got you," Alyssa explained, "You shouldn't have gotten close to her in the first place, she's such a slut…"

"Don't call her that!" He shouted, angry at what she had just said, _'How dare she say that about Light.'_

"She wants you away from me, just so she can sleep with you, isn't it obvious," Alyssa said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"She's not like that, honestly, what's wrong with you." Hope replied glaring at her, _'Light was right about her, she's so selfish, she doesn't want me to be near anyone but her.'_

Alyssa was suddenly coy and smirked, "Oh come on Hope, you know we'd be perfect for each other, if you just give it a chance."

Hope shook his head, "I don't think so, maybe if you were still the same as you were when we last met, but you've changed so much, too much."

Alyssa rolled her eyes and laughed, "Maybe you're the one who's changed but…we _can_ still make it work."

With that she suddenly leaned in and kissed him.

Hope froze, shocked at what was happening.

'_What is she doing, she just, she wasn't listening, no wait, she was, she juts didn't care, this was her plan'_ He realized that Lightning had been right, Alyssa had been controlling him, but worse still, he had let her.

He couldn't believe how stupid he had been lightning had tried to warn him but he hadn't listened. All because of his feelings and the fact he noticed she seemed to be conflicted in hers had complicated things and led him to believe she was lying. But instead she had been looking out for him, almost immediately he felt more regret than ever, he couldn't take it anymore.

'_Alyssa, I was right, you have changed…too much.'_

With that he pushed her off him, jumping back, his seat hitting the ground. Alyssa stared at him surprised.

"Hope, what's wrong?"

"You are," He said angrily, "I was right, you have changed too much, you're manipulative, you stop from being with my friends because you want me for yourself, you're selfish and don't care about others, you just want to make yourself happy."

Alyssa glared at him, "How dare you, I was friendly to you, those 'friends' abandoned you the moment you yelled at _Lightning_ and I was all you had!"

"No, I still had them as friends; you wouldn't let me go talk to them, because it didn't suit you."

"Hope…" He shook his head and cut across her, "Enough, I don't wanna hear, we should never have spoken to each other again, I don't wanna see you again, don't try to bother me, got it!"

With that he turned, ignoring her when she tried to respond. He saw Lightning standing up at her table staring at him in surprise, he shook his head. He still couldn't talk to her, things were too awkward between them he wouldn't be able to get the words out. He left the cafeteria, ignoring Alyssa who was calling after him, the pain of betrayal still stung.

Lightning was surprised at this; she hadn't expected Hope to snap like that. More importantly however, she realized he believed her and now saw the truth. While relieved that he as away from Alyssa she knew that the awkwardness was too much, they still weren't able to sort things out. Alyssa suddenly stomped over to her.

"You bitch, how dare you, you turned him against me!" She began screaming but Lightning just gave a small smile, "Stop trying to blame others for your own failings, I haven't spoken to Hope all day, I've not had the chance to talk to him."

Alyssa's face went scarlet as she growled and then turned and stalked out of the cafeteria. Lightning sighed and turned to face the rest of the group, the bell rang before she could walk over to them however so she began to head off to Maths. As she walked with the crowd she realized she was walking next to Vanille, Lightning swallowed nervously and decided to set things right.

"Vanille I um…I just wanted to say…"

Vanille smiled, "It's alright, I'm fine."

Lightning smiled gratefully and headed to Maths. Apart from a few glares and muttered empty threats from Alyssa the day passed without further incident, however after gym Hope was nowhere to be seen so Lightning headed straight home with Serah. Once home she headed inside and sat down on the couch, Serah slowly walked into the room and hesitantly sat down next to her.

After a brief moment of silence Serah spoke.

"Light, I know you don't like asking for help but…"

Lightning smiled, "It's alright Serah, I know I was wrong, I guess I just…got what I deserved."

Serah suddenly glared, "Since when did my sister become a quitter, Lightning, you still have a chance, just be honest to yourself, be true to your heart."

Lightning sighed, "I wish it were that easy Serah, I just…don't know what I feel."

"You'll figure it out, just talk to Hope about it, okay," She paused and then added, "Don't forget, he likes the fact that you do have some vulnerability despite being so strong."

Lightning nodded, she knew what Serah was talking about, her scars, signs of her past torment, she smiled.

"I guess you're right, I'll try and talk to him."

Serah nodded, "All I'm asking, is for you to try, you do deserve to be happy Light."

With that Serah stood up and headed through to the kitchen to start on dinner.

'_Maybe, maybe she's right, but happiness isn't something I've had…not since he disappeared,'_ She thought to herself, _'After Dad died…Caius is the closest thing I've had to a Father.'_

Her resolve strengthened Lightning made up her mind, as soon as she could sort her feelings out she would talk to Hope and pray that everything turned out alright.

* * *

><p>End of chapter, what do you think? We have now reached the end of the Alyssa Arc, Alyssa will appear again but she'll no longer be a main character, the spotlight's finally off her. Hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	20. Love Realized

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 20 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Lightslighting: Yup he did, here's the next chapter.  
><strong>

**Kurosaki Anne: Yeah, she is, well she's been set straight, Hope and Lightning will be talking in this chapter, as for Caius, wait and see.  
><strong>

**The Light to all Fears: Yeah, I love my cliffhangers, glad you are enjoying it, actually Caius' reappearance and Hope and the others getting their tattoos will occur at the same time.**

**don'tmakemesnapmyfingers: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, personally Lightning/Hope is my favourite pairing.  
><strong>

**Beloved Nightmare Union: Yup, thanks, glad you are enjoying it, Yeah Hope's realized his mistake, if it was anyone other than Hope then yeah, they'd need to really kiss up to get forgiven, but don't forget, if you look at it, even in the game Lightning has a soft spot for Hope.  
><strong>

**Otaku-Entity: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, I just manage it somehow, things won't be back to normal however, they'll be...well read on and see, as for Snow and Serah, they don't need to help. **

**Lightarcana: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, yup, she is, well she's been dealt with at least.**

**bookgirl111: The action will come, be patient, at this moment Cid is busy trying to find out more about the shadowy figures and PSICOM's return.**

**TheWarrior12: Yup, she's been dealt with and Hope is no longer fooled. Yeah, Fang's forgiven her too, thanks, glad you enjoyed it.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20: Love Realized<strong>

It was Sunday 15 August 2 APW, Lightning had just stepped out of her car; she glanced at her watch, 15:13 EST. She sighed and thought about what she was going to do. After Serah had spoken to her about being true to herself she had tried to talk to Hope. But the awkwardness between them had made it difficult for them to talk to each other. Hope sat with the group at lunch again but he wasn't able to look Lightning in the eye throughout all Thursday and Friday, Alyssa still tried to get back with Hope but he refused to even look at her. During Saturday at Fang's birthday party they both enjoyed themselves and talked but not about their feelings, Fang was in a better mood and didn't react angrily to Lightning at least. It was now Sunday and Lightning had decided enough was enough, she wasn't going to wait any longer, she was going to talk to Hope immediately about their feelings, which was why, right now she was parked outside his house and walking up to the door. She knew Hope found her blend of strength and vulnerability attractive and had played up to it; she was dressed in a simple pair of denim jeans, a plain black tank top and a pair of brown leather boots. The tank top meant the scars on her arms and shoulders were visible. She swallowed nervously and composed herself before knocking on the door. After a brief wait the door opened and Nora stood there.

"Hello Lightning," She greeted with a smile, Lightning smiled back weakly and then asked, "Is Hope in?"

Nora nodded, "He's in his room, he's been lost in thought all day." She explained, Lightning thanked him and, after Nora let her in she headed over to Hope's room.

She walked up to the door and, after hesitating briefly she knocked on his door.

"What?" He called out, She called back, "Hope, it's me."

"Light," He gasped surprised, there was a brief silence and then, "Come in."

She stepped in; Hope was sitting on his bed, staring at her in shock, clearly not expecting her. Just then his phone rang, he groaned and picked it up, groaned again before refusing to answer the call and putting his phone back down on the table. Lightning looked at him, confused.

"I'm starting to think I should change my number," He remarked bitterly, Lightning nodded, finally understanding, "Alyssa, right?"

He nodded with a sigh. Lightning shifted uncomfortably, Hope couldn't meet her eyes. Finally Hope sighed and turned to face Lightning.

"Lightning I know you were right about Alyssa, and I'm sorry I lost my temper with you," He said, "But it still doesn't change the fact that you've lied to me...and to yourself."

Lightning lowered her head, he was right.

Finally however she raised her head, she remembered Serah's words, be true to her heart and she knew now she had to tell the truth.

"Hope, I came here because I have something important to tell you," She explained, Hope looked up at her, "First off, I'm truly sorry for lying to you, it was a terrible mistake and..."

Hope shook his head, "It's alright, really, I know you didn't mean to lie to me...I just want to know why."

Lightning sighed, "That's why I'm here." Hope waited, wondering what she was going to say.

After a few false starts Lightning finally got the words out.

"Hope, the truth is...over the summer, things began to change and I...I began to feel, like I wanted to be with you, After two years being completely alone I never felt so connected to another person." Hope started at her wide-eyed.

Lightning paused before continuing, "You were partially right when you confronted me about why I didn't want you near Alyssa...I was jealous."

"Hold on," Hope interrupted, "How could you be jealous, unless you...?"

Lightning nodded and he almost fell back, stunned.

"Yes, the truth is Hope...I've fallen for you, it was slow, but then after you saved me from Hiroshi...I began feeling strange feelings for you...I now know those feelings were love for you."

There was silence as Hope fought to find his voice, amazed at the fact that Lightning had, in a roundabout way, admitted she loved him.

"Light...I-I um...I don't what to say..." She shook her head but before she could speak he admitted, "I, I actually love you too, I loved you the moment I first saw you, but I thought you'd never look at me like that."

He hung his head, "I figured I was lucky to even have you as a friend and I ruined it, thanks to Alyssa."

Hope sighed, he was certain now that he had said too much, now things would never be the same between them.

Lightning smiled as she saw Hope, she had never seen him like this before, the muscle build up from the workouts, contrasting with the vulnerability he was showing at the moment. That same blend of strength and vulnerability that Serah had told Lightning she had, the interesting blend that Hope found attractive.

'_Looks like I do too,'_ She thought with smile.

Hope looked downcast and Lightning realized that he was expecting her to leave now that she knew the truth, he was afraid he had damaged their friendship, on the contrary she wanted to be near him even more. She walked over to him, he looked up in surprise but before he could say anything she gently brought her hand up and caressed his cheek before smiling and then leaning in closer, she could feel his breath tickling her face before their lips met and everything else dissolved. They were lost in enjoying the feelings throughout their bodies, the texture of the others lips as they deepened the kiss, Hope fell back onto his bed, pulling Lightning with him. They lay, still kissing, Hope threaded his fingers through her hair as she caressed his face again, still kissing. They were so lost in the kiss they didn't see Nora open the door and see them. She smiled and quietly closed the door again, heading back to the living room.

'_Looks like they've finally found each other, I know they're going to be happy together.'_ She thought happily.

Finally Lightning and Hope parted, gasping for air. Hope was wide-eyed, blushing, his fingers still threaded in her hair. Lightning was also blushing and had a lopsided grin on her face.

The moment as punctured when Hope's phone rang again, he groaned it was Alyssa yet again, he was about to decline the call when Lightning stopped him.

"Wanna mess with her," She suggested, this time it was Hope's turn to grin as he agreed and answered the call.

"Alyssa," Hope answered, still breathless.

"Hope finally," She replied, sounding disgruntled, "Why haven't you been answering my calls."

Hope smiled and casually remarked, "Well, I've been kinda busy."

"Busy?"

"Yeah, I've been talking to Lightning," He revealed, as anticipated she reacted hysterically, "What, what are you doing with her, wait, you're lying, you haven't spoken to her since Wednesday, so don't lie."

Hope smirked and nodded to Lightning who was trying to cover her laughter, Lightning then spoke up, making sure Alyssa could hear her, "Hope, are you gonna be on the phone much longer," to which Hope replied, "I'll be right there."

Alyssa went ballistic, "What the hell, what is she doing there, how could you, remember what she did to you...!"

Whatever else Alyssa wanted to say they never found out for Hope simply hung up and put his phone back on the nightstand.

Lightning smiled as Hope turned back to her; they were both lying on his bed, side by side, smiling.

"Well, that takes care of her," Hope said with a relieved sigh, Lightning nodded and once again they kissed.

They remained locked together, their hands running up each others backs, before long Hope's tongue was begging for entrance into Lightning's mouth, she willingly complied and soon their tongues were engaged in a passionate struggle. They remained that way until they once again needed to breathe.

"I could never get tired of this," Lightning said breathlessly.

Hope smiled and nodded. His eyes slowly took in her appearance, her flushed face, her tousled hair, her breathlessness and the visible scars.

'_I wonder if she'll ever tell me what happened to her, probably not.'_ He thought to himself, _'It must've been horrific, for her to be so badly scarred.'_

Eventually Lightning stood up.

"I wish I could stay longer but I have to get home," She explained, "I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay."

Hope nodded smiling, Lightning smiled back and, after a third kiss, shorter than the other two, she left. Once back in her car she drove home, her heart almost bursting with joy, she was definitely looking forward to school tomorrow.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, we are now at the halfway point of the story and entering a new Arc, the Love and Bonding Arc, this will also be the longest Arc, lasting up until chapter 29. Anyway read and review please.<p> 


	21. Together

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 21 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**The Warrior12: Yup, they're together now, the Love and Bonding Arc has begun, hope you enjoy it:)**

**The Light to all Fears: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yeah I thought it would be funny to have them mess with her, I actually planned for it to be like that so that Alyssa would think 'What the hell is going on, what are they up to' which is important for some of her dialogue in this chapter.**

**ziel101: Yup, they're finally a couple.**

**bookgirl111: As I said, the Action Arc has plenty, but there is still some action in this Arc, namely chapters 23 and 24.**

**XCyberOtakuX: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it so much :) Well to be honest no, he won't, his disappearance will be explained in a later chapter.**

**Lightslighting: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.**

**Lightarcana: Thanks, glad you are really enjoying it, here's the next chapter, have fun :)**

**Beloeved Nightmare Union: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, yup, we are, and to be honest it was a coincidence since I had forgotten about the Aya Brea outfit :)**

**Whish Promise 99: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yeah, they're officially a couple now :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 21: Together<strong>

It was Monday, Hope sat on the train heading for school, for once he was actually looking forward to it. The reason behind his good mood was simple, He finally had a girlfriend, and not just any girlfriend but Lightning Farron. After nursing a long crush on her his feelings were finally returned, despite the drama that had led up to their relationship truly beginning they were both looking forward to meeting up that day.

"_We are now approaching Bodhum Central Station; we will arrive at 08:41 AM, Eden Standard Time."_

He smiled, the announcement that used to fill him with dread now gave him nothing but joy, soon the train stopped at Bodhum Central Station and he got off before walking to school. He spotted Maqui, Yuj and Lebreau instantly along with Vanille and Fang who had obviously come to drop Vanille off. He walked over them and greeted them, they replied and continued to wait for Serah, Snow and Lightning to arrive.

"Well, someone's looking pretty cheerful," Fang commented with a smirk as she looked at Hope. He blushed but still smiled and replied with a simple, "Yeah, I am."

The NORA crew were confused at this but Fang and Vanille smirked, they knew what was going on. Soon enough Snow's car drove in and he got out with Serah and Lightning. Snow walked around and linked arms with Serah and walked towards the group, Lightning walked along side them, smiling when she saw Hope. Ignoring the smirks from Fang, Vanille, Snow and Serah Hope stepped forward to meet her halfway and without hesitating they kissed, in full view of anyone watching. There were gasps of surprise from the NORA crew, as well as a few other students, Fang, Vanille, Serah and Snow's smirks grew wider as they watched the happy scene.

They once again lost track of time it wasn't until a shriek reached their ears that they drew apart. Lightning smirked as she noticed it was Alyssa, who was looking at them enraged beyond reason. She stalked over to them as they stood, finally the tables were turned, she was angry yet they stood there smiling serenely, Hope had his arm around Lightning's waist.

"Hope, what do you think you're doing?" Alyssa screamed at him, he smirked and replied casually, "What does it look like, I was kissing my Girlfriend."

As he said the last word Alyssa looked scandalised, the NORA crew again gasped in shock.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Alyssa screamed, Hope continued to smirk, "Just what I said, Lightning's my girlfriend."

"Since when…!" Hope cut her of, "Since yesterday, like that matters to you," She continued to glare but couldn't say anything else as the bell rang, she growled and then turned and stalked off. Fang said her goodbye to Vanille and then headed back to her car

Lightning laughed and then kissed Hope again.

"See you in Physics," She said, he nodded and they both headed off to their first class.

Lightning walked to English still smirking. Serah and Snow walked with her smiling, Noel wasn't in for some reason, he simply called and said he wouldn't be in school today.

"Hey, Light," Snow called to her, she looked over at him, "Congratulations."

Lightning gave a casual shrug, "Thanks," Serah laughed, "I think it's great you guys sorted everything out."

Lightning nodded in agreement. They finally arrived at English to see the rest of the class already there, along with a very pissed off Alyssa.

Alyssa rounded on them as they arrived.

"You." She growled at Lightning, glaring at her with hatred.

Lightning raised an eyebrow at her, "Yeah, something wrong," She remarked, knowing it would rile her up even more.

"How dare you do that, I don't know who you think you are, stealing Hope from me, but you have no right!" Alyssa yelled, not caring about the fact she was making a scene," You have no right to kiss him when it's meant to be me he's kissing got that!"

Lightning rolled her eyes, "First of all, I didn't steal Hope from anybody, he wasn't ever your boyfriend and secondly, he's allowed to kiss anyone he wants and he's the one who kissed me, got it." She explained calmly, decided to keep her temper in check and prove it was Alyssa who was the crazy jealous one here.

"Don't you dare lie!" Alyssa shrieked, "Oh my God, I knew it, you're forcing him to sleep with you, aren't you. Admit it, that's why he's acting like this, you're sleeping with him aren't you, you slut!"

Serah was suddenly worried that Alyssa had gone too far, Snow had taken his arm away from her shoulders so he was standing in a better position to retrain Lightning. But to their surprise, Lightning simply smirked again.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not, I love Hope, he loves me, no sex involved," She then added coyly, "At least not yet," Alyssa went scarlet and spluttered before Lightning shook her head, "You should learn, not all girls spread their legs when they want a guy, like you."

Alyssa glared, her face beet red as she screamed and then threw herself at Lightning, trying to attack her, Lightning stumbled back but kept her balance and before Alyssa could try again the teacher, who Lightning had already seen approaching, yelled out.

"Alyssa Zaidelle, fighting is not tolerated in school; go to the Principal's office at once!"

Alyssa turned to him, glaring, "But…"

"Now!" The teacher snapped and Alyssa turned her glare back to Lightning and muttered "This isn't over," before storming off to the Principal's office.

The teacher turned to Lightning.

"Are you alright Miss Farron?" He asked, concerned. Lightning nodded and confirmed she was fine and they entered the class, several of the students were whispering about what had just occurred but Lightning ignored them, despite the fight with Alyssa she was still happier than she could ever remember.

_Eden_

Dysley sat at his desk reading over a report about Cocoon's energy reserves and expenditure. As many people had realized, since the building of Nautilus, Cocoon was expending more energy than ever before. However their energy reserves were still high enough that it seemed unlikely that an energy crisis would occur, at least, not during his office term as Primarch.

'_All the same, the limitless energy resources on Pulse would end this problem indefinitely,'_ He thought to himself, before smirking, _'It makes for a nice excuse when I make my move to invade it.'_

He looked over at the shadowy 'Grand General' who stood near his desk.

"Have there been any further developments?" He asked, the 'Grand General' nodded, "We may have lost our market in Bodhum, but, every place has its dark corners, the problem with Bodhum was the civilization level meant that the disappearances were easily noticed."

"So we need a means to extend the time it takes to discover the loss," Dysley summarized, the shadowy man nodded and then replied, "Maybe a place like Nautilus?"

Dysley nodded, "I will give it some thought."

The 'Grand General' saluted and then a door opened and the shadowy woman known as the 'High Inquisitor' stepped into the room. Dysley nodded to her and then asked.

"How goes our progress with the boy we extradited from prison?"

The High Inquisitor, who aside from interrogations was also in charge of PSICOM's experiments and weapons development, consulted the clipboard she held.

"He's responded to implant chip and the augmentations really well," She explained, "He should be ready to be put into action along with the other two with him around late September, 1st of October at the latest."

Dysley nodded and after saluting the 'High Inquisitor' and 'Grand General' left.

_Bodhum High School_

The first two classes passed by well and Lightning was on her way to Physics with Maqui, she was looking forward to meeting up with Hope. As they walked Maqui turned to her.

"You and Hope are really…?" He began to ask but trailed off, Lightning smirked, she had been hearing it a lot today and, unlike other questions, she wasn't annoyed at constantly being asked it.

"Yeah, of course." She replied, Maqui smiled and replied, "Cool, well, I'm happy for you guys."

Lightning smiled and they then arrive at the Physics class and she stopped dead, unable to believe what she was seeing. Alyssa was standing outside the class, dressed in a way that could only be described as 'trashy'. Her skirt was much shorter and now only reached to mid-thigh, her blouse was now rather tight at the chest area and the top buttons were undone, giving a good view of cleavage. If Lightning was to hazard a guess she would say Alyssa was also wearing a push-up bra. Finally her knee socks and shin high boots had been removed and were replaced with nothing more than a pair of red flats, showing an almost obscene amount of leg.

'_Oh God, she actually thinks that'll work.'_ Lightning thought with distaste as Alyssa turned to her smirking.

Alyssa walked over and Lightning noticed that she was also wearing heavier make-up than usual too.

"I hope you're ready to say goodbye to Hope, Lightning," Alyssa remarked venomously, "Because I know he's gonna ditch you pretty fast when he comes."

Lightning rolled her eyes, "You called me a slut? You must be pretty desperate if you think that's gonna work."

"Of course, Hope's gonna come running to me when he sees what he could have. I mean c'mon, how could he not want this?" Alyssa remarked arrogantly.

"At least I show a little skin, what's the problem with you, scared." Alyssa taunted eyeing Lightning's clothes critically. A pair of faded black skinny jeans, a plain white T-shirt and a grey unzipped hooded sweatshirt along with black combat boots. In all Lightning's hands, neck and head were the only parts of her body not covered with an article of clothing.

'_If you only knew,'_ Lightning thought ruefully, _'Well, who cares, Hope's already seen my scars…some of them at least.'_

With that Lightning shrugged and turned away, ignoring Alyssa. Then, acting nonchalant as if she wasn't thinking about it, she pulled off her hooded sweatshirt and tied it around her waist; the scars on her arms were now in plain view. There were stunned gasps and frantic whispers from everyone; they had never seen her scars before except for the girls who were in the same gym class as her. None of them knew the story however, her friends knew part of the story but only Fang knew the whole truth. She glanced out the corner of her eye and smirked, Alyssa's eyes were practically bugging out as she stared.

Before Alyssa could make some comment about it Hope arrived. Alyssa immediately turned to face him, thrusting her chest out and smiling, batting her eyelashes, Lightning resisted the urge to puke. Hope blinked a few times and then sighed and rolled his eyes before walking over to Lightning, leaving Alyssa looked shocked and horrified.

"Hope!" He sighed and turned around, "What?" He asked, clearly irritated.

"How can you possibly go to her, I mean look at me, how can you not want this?"

Hope gave her a disgusted look before replying, "Very easily, It's not the slightest bit attractive Alyssa."

"Neither is she," Alyssa snapped back, "At least I have flawless skin."

"So, Lightning's got scars, big deal." With that Hope turned around and immediately walked up to a smirking Lightning who pulled him into a delicate kiss.

They parted and Hope smirked, "I was waiting all day for that."

"The kiss, or putting that bitch in her place?" Lightning asked, Hope's smirk grew as he replied, "Both."

They headed into the classroom as the teacher and the rest of the class arrived. After Physics they headed to lunch, ignoring a disgruntled Alyssa, at Hope's insistence Lightning pulled her sweatshirt back on as they entered the cafeteria.

They ignored the buzz of speculation and the shocked stares from the other students and joined their group at their usual table.

"Hey lovebirds," Vanille greeted them, "Having a good day?"

They both replied positively and soon the conversation turned to the new couple's first real date, which was coming this Saturday. The others were helping them plan it, decide where to go, what to do, they were both looking forward to it, a chance to be together and enjoy each other's company without their friends teasing, or Alyssa's constant death glares. By the time the bell rang to signify the end of lunch the date was all prepared and they headed to their next class, wanted desperately for Saturday to come quickly.

_Eden_

Dysley sat in his throne, pondering the one thing that had been bothering him for some time. The reason for the loss of their market of test subjects in Bodhum, according to the 'Grand General' it was a single teenage woman who was responsible for shutting it down and killing nearly all those involved. Since then Guardian Crops patrol's had doubled in the area making their task impossible there. Finally however as he and the 'High Inquisitor' waited the 'Grand General' returned to the room.

"Your Excellency, I have good news," He stated, "I have positively identified the woman behind our failure in Bodhum."

With that he placed a folder on the desk, already open, it was a dossier, Dysley looked at it and narrowed his eyes.

"Are you sure," He asked, the 'Grand General' nodded.

The 'High Inquisitor' smiled as she read the dossier, "Sergeant Lightning Farron, how I remember her well."

Dysley sighed, "One of Caius' squad, a rather…complex nuisance." He paused for thought and then an idea came to him,

"High Inquisitor, when the boy and those other test subjects are ready, send them out to…deal with this Farron girl, hurt her…on a personal level."

"Yes your Excellency," The 'High Inquisitor' replied before she left the room with the 'Grand General'.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	22. First Date

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 22 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**ziel101: Yeah, I'm glad you enjoyed Lightning dealing with Alyssa. As for Serah, wait and see, next chapter.**

**Lightarcana: Yup, she is, of course there's no way that's possible. Glad you enjoyed it.**

**TheWarrior12: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, yes there will be.**

**SquallRocks: Yeah well, she shouldn't have tried to split them up; yes Dysley is beginning to show more of his true colours.**

**Jlbean: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, I don't get mad at silly little things like that. You bet she did :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 22: First Date<strong>

It was Saturday 21 August 2 APW, and important day for Lightning Farron and Hope Estheim. It was the day they would be going on their first date. Hope stood in front of the mirror he was wearing his best clothes. The restraunt they were going to was rather classy so he was wearing black dress pants, a dark blue dress shirt and black suit jacket, the collar and cuffs of the shirt were tucked over the collar and sleeves of his jacket. He also wore a pair of black polished shoes, he was nervous of course but also excited, the only issue was of course that he was still learning to drive, therefore Lightning was going to be driving, she didn't mind however, in fact, she insisted. Soon he came downstairs and Nora smiled when she saw him.

"You look great Hope." She said, he smiled, "Thanks Mom."

Right on cue there was a knock at the door, Hope went to answer it. He opened the door and his jaw dropped, he always thought Lightning was beautiful but now he could only describe her as 'stunning'. Her hair had remained the same, although it looked a little sleeker, she also wasn't wearing any make-up except for some light eye-liner. She was wearing a rather elegant dark blue ankle length dress and similar coloured flats. The dress was also sleeveless and exposed the upper half of her back, revealing even more of her scars, one's Hope hadn't seen last time.

"Light?" He wasn't sure what to say, he was curious about her scars but knew she hated talking about them.

She shook her head and he wisely didn't say anything, "Let's get going then shall we."

He agreed and headed out to her car; they got in and drove off, heading for the restaurant.

When they arrived they got out of the car and, linking arms they walked in, after speaking to hostess they were shown to their reserved table and sat down. After they had ordered they sat in silence for a moment before finally Lightning spoke.

"So, Hope," She began awkwardly, "Every time we've spoken, we've talked about you, your past, but you know next to nothing about my past."

Hope nodded, "I never really asked, I could see you didn't wanna talk about it."

Lightning nodded slowly and then sighed, "Yeah, some things I don't wanna about, others…I can't."

Hope looked at her confused so she quickly replied, "It's complicated but, I think I should tell you a few things, I'll just, gloss over the parts I can't talk about."

Hope was surprised at this; Lightning was going open up to him, at least a little bit and tell him some of her past.

"Well, let's see," Lightning began, during the short awkward silence as she gathered her thoughts their drinks arrived. After thanking the waiter, who eyed Lightning much to Hope's discomfort, she prepared herself and began.

"Well, there are some things you know…So, I'll start with stuff you probably don't. My parents died when I was five, Serah was only four. We were cared for by the neighbours, only one sticks out in my memory, a Guardian Crops officer called Amodar. It was from him I learned all about the war."

Hope cringed as Lightning stopped to take a sip of her drink, likely using the time to calm down. The Guardian Corps/PSICOM war was a terrifying event, most of the fighting took place all over Cocoon but in the final three years of the war the fighting was confined to Eden. Yet the tremors from the attacks could still be felt. As he had heard in History, the war ended when the great hero and then Grand General of the Guardian Corps, Caius Ballad, led a small squad of the best soldiers in the Guardian Corps, on a direct assault on the Primarch's palace and forced Primarch Malum to abdicate. That was two years ago, it was then several changes occurred, the legendary hero disappeared from public life, Cid Raines was promoted to Grand General of the Guardian Corps and Galenth Dysley became the 75th Primarch of Cocoon.

Lightning also thought about the History lessons on the war, _'Too bad History is often inaccurate or…misses parts out,'_ She thought to herself.

She straightened up and continued to talk to Hope about the aspects of her past that she could.

"I…eventually got involved in the war myself." She admitted, Hope stared as she admitted this, "You mean, you were…"

"A child soldier, yeah. I didn't really care what the others thought of me, I only wanted one thing. PSICOM had killed my parents, I wanted revenge…and I got it, using my Father's sword."

After a pause Lightning sighed, "Some things I just can't say, but…that's what I can tell you. After the war I came back home and shut myself off, I felt strangely empty after my purpose was fulfilled."

She then smiled, "But then Serah convinced me to go to school, socialize with people again…and the rest, you know."

Hope smiled and nodded before leaning over the table slightly, suddenly turning concerned, "Light, is the fact you took part in the war…the reason behind your nightmares."

Lightning sighed and nodded, confirming his suspicions.

"PTSD?" She nodded again and he realized his fears were right. Lightning's nightmares were caused by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, relating to events in her past. Before they could say anything else the food arrived.

As they ate Hope pondered briefly before finally decided to speak.

"Light, I know it's hard but, maybe you should get help for it." He said, hesitantly, but Lightning smiled before admitting, "Actually, I've been having less nightmares now, less than before, and they're gradually fading, becoming hazy."

"When did this happen?"

"After the sleepover, when I finally realized what I felt for you." She stated, smiling, "My nightmares were replaced by dreams of you…Although I've gotta admit, the real you, is so much better than any dream."

Hope blushed at the compliment and smiled, "Thanks."

Lightning gave a short laugh and they continued to enjoy the rest of their meal. Finally, after they finished they prepared to leave, Hope had insisted on paying but Lightning insisted on splitting the bill between them, Hope eventually relented and agreed. They left, still smiling, it was getting late, but before the date was over they planned to head to a nearby beach and spend some time watching the waves, just relaxing together.

Unfortunately, on the way they ran into a familiar face, it was Alyssa. She was on her phone and seemed to be arguing with somebody about someone.

"Honestly, what is wrong with you," She stated angrily, "I can see that, you're not here just now, and you're clearly not on your way!"

After listening to whoever was on the other end for a moment she sighed, "You know what, just forget it, I'm going home."

With that she hung up and turned around, seeing Hope and Lightning for the first time.

"Oh, it's you guys," She said, clearly annoyed, "What are you doing here?"

Lightning and Hope shared a look as if to say, isn't it obvious before Lightning clarified, "We're on a date."

Alyssa just rolled her eyes, Hope was relieved however that Alyssa's bad mood was directed at someone else, at least there wouldn't be any real problems with her, especially not tonight.

"And what's wrong with you?" Lightning asked, curious about the phone call, Alyssa rolled her eyes, "None of your business." She snapped before they began to walk off.

"Where are you going?" She asked, clearly unable to believe they were just going to ignore her.

Hope glanced back at her and replied, "None of your business."

Lightning smirked at that and Alyssa just shook her head and stalked off angrily.

"Well, she didn't cause any trouble this time," He remarked, Lightning nodded and smiled, "God, I'd hate for tonight to be ruined."

So from there they headed to the beach.

They both stood at the beach front, just watching the waves, the moon reflecting off the water, enjoying the peaceful calm of the place. This part of the date had been Lightning's idea; she had found this place once and told him about it.

"Almost nobody knows about it, and it's quite secluded, it's always so peaceful here. I used to come here…during the war, when I needed to think."

That was how she had described the place to him and he could now see why she liked it. As they stood he looked up at her and smiled.

"Light, thanks for being open back there, and telling me at least some of the truth." He said quietly, not wanting to break the calm stillness of the area.

Lightning smiled and then leaned in and kissed him. They kissed for a long time until they finally pulled back. It was then Lightning spoke.

"There is…one more thing I should tell you." Hope looked up at her confused until she explained, "My real name…It's Claire, Claire Farron."

Hope smiled, "Okay, thanks…Claire."

Lightning then placed her hand on his shoulder, "Please, don't call me by that name, unless we're alone, the truth is, I haven't been Claire Farron in a long time, I've been Lightning instead." She sighed, "Even around Serah, I've been Lightning, but with you Hope…I fell like, Claire Farron again, but…I don't wanna go back to that name yet."

"I understand."

Lightning thanked him and soon they headed back to the car, after driving Hope home she drove home herself, happier than she could ever remember. As she got out of the car and got inside, she noticed that Serah had actually gone to bed instead of waiting up for her like she usually did. Lightning shrugged and prepared for bed, removing the eye liner and getting changed into her pyjamas. She went to bed, the feeling of elation not leaving her.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please. Expect some serious drama in the next chapter.<p> 


	23. Challenge

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 23 of my Final Fantasy XIII story.

**Reviews**

**Whistlewind Wolf: Well I'm not saying too much, all I'll say is, you're close.**

**bookgirl111: Sorry, but she's not my character so I cannot give permission for that :)**

**ILoveMemes: Well, read on to find out, glad you are enjoying it.**

**Beloved Nightmare Union: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, you are spot on with those guesses, as for Lightning's scars, they'll be described in more detail in this chapter as Lightning actually examines them at the start.**

**The Light to all Fears: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, yup she is, of course we still don't have the full story yet.**

**Starseeker358: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.**

**Lightarcana: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, here's the next chapter.**

**Miya: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yeah, she is rather annoying.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 23: Challenge<strong>

Thursday 14 October 2 APW; things had been quiet; Cid had been continuing his attempts to investigate Dysley, so far nothing. Lightning was content to wait and, thanks to her relationship with Hope, she was now able to sleep free of nightmares. The only reminder of her torture was the horrific patchwork of scars that covered her body, varying from thin faded red lines that covered her legs to the mesh pattern of scars on her arms, caused by a mesh of red hot wire being clamped around them. Her back and torso were covered in scars of varying sizes; some were jagged in appearance, others not as much. She also had faded white marks that were the remains of the electrical burns she had suffered from Nabaat. Shaking her head she quickly got dressed, she had finished at the gym and was getting ready to return home. She drove back and parked before getting out and heading inside, once inside she froze, her soldier instinct kicking in. The main room was trashed, there were signs of a struggle and most worryingly, someone wasn't there who should've been.

"Serah?" Lightning called out, silence greeted her, and her worst fears were confirmed, her sister was missing.

She quickly scoured the house, but there was no sign of Serah anywhere, then she saw it on the kitchen counter, she walked over and picked it up, it was a note, addressed to her.

_You dared to refuse me, so I have taken revenge. Serah is with me, you'll never find us, I'm going to have so much fun with her. If you think you can find us then try it, although I won't make it easy. If you do find us, then no matter what you try, you'll fail, thanks to my friends. Have fun Lightning._

The name on the note made her blood run cold, it was Hiroshi.

'_That creep, he's gone too far now.'_ She thought angrily, before confusion set in, _'How did he get out, he was in prison, he was supposed to be in prison for years.'_

Her mind was racing when she heard a knock at the door, she ran to it and pulled it openly, "What," She snapped.

"Hey, Light, chill." Snow replied, raising his hands in defense.

Lightning sighed, "Sorry, I just..."

"Look what's going on, I've been calling Serah but..."

Lightning cut him off, revealing the truth, "Serah's been kidnapped by Hiroshi." Snow's face quickly changed, going from shocked to angry in seconds.

"That rat, where is he, we've gotta stop him!" Lightning nodded, "I know, but it's not gonna be easy."

They decided to go around town and ask the people if they had seen Hiroshi, see if they could find some clues.

"Given how he's explained things in the note, even with the two of us it's likely to be a handful." Lightning explained, Snow sighed and then a thought occurred to him, "I've got it, everyone else is away except Noel, let's call him."

Lightning was surprised at this, "Where is everyone?"

"Fang and Vanille have gone on a day trip to Nautilus, I would call my crew but they've been bogged down with work and they won't be allowed to leave."

Lightning nodded, "Right, and I don't really want to involve Hope if things are as dangerous as they seem to be."

So they agreed and called Noel who hurried over immediately.

Once Noel arrived they headed out and began searching for any clues. As they walked around town they could heard the usual gossip and chatter. Snow decided to ask someone.

"Hey excuse me," He asked a passerby, "Have you seen Serah today?"

Serah was well-known around Bodhum, especially for her kindness, so the man knew who Snow meant.

"I'm afraid not, sorry," The man replied. Snow sighed.

They continued to walk around, asking if anyone had seen Serah, or anyone acting suspiciously, they were getting nowhere. As they walked around town, growing more frustrated and panicked every second when they found something that caught their attention.

"Hey, guys check it out," Noel called out as they passed the mouth of the alleyway which led to the seedier side of Bodhum.

Noel knelt down and picked something up and showed it to them, "Isn't this Serah's necklace?"

"Yeah, that's it," Snow replied, he knew it immediately and Lightning also knew what it was.

Snow had bought Serah the pendant, in fact he had had it specially made for her, there were only two like it and he had the other one.

"So they went this way, Serah must've dropped it," Lightning deduced and they hurried through the alleyway.

They soon arrived at one of the deserted squares of the seedier side of town.

They looked around, they couldn't see anything out of place, they had hit another dead end and now they couldn't ask anyone for help. It was then Lightning made an unsettling discovery, leading towards one of the shadowy alleyways, on the fire escape on the side of one building was blood.

"Hey, look at this?" She called out; the others came over and saw the blood.

"Do you think they...?" Snow began but Lightning shook her head, "No, it's not enough for a serious injury."

Snow relaxed slightly, they looked down the alleyway but saw no more blood. Noel however pointed out that there was a trail of blood drops leading up the fire escape.

"To the roof, great, let's go."

They headed up and made it up to the roof. They stopped when they saw the sight before them on the roof. Hiroshi was standing there, smirking. Standing next to him was two rather large thuggish men, what made them looked unusual was, aside from their large bulk there were obvious signs of mechanical parts in their bodies, parts of the skin in their arms seemed to be made of steel, almost as if they had been cyberized.

'_But that's impossible,'_ Lightning thought, _'Only PSICOM have that capability, is this why they were kidnapping people, for their experiments.'_

Hiroshi smirked when he saw the group standing before him.

"Well, well, what a surprise, you actually found us." He said before shaking his head, "Although you're a little late," He added maliciously.

That caught their attention and they tensed as the thugs stepped aside.

Behind them, lying on the ground was Serah and, much to the surprise of the trio, Hope. Both of them were bound and gagged, Hope had a large cut on his forehead and they realized that the blood on the fire escape wasn't Serah's it was Hope's blood. Worse still Serah was naked and what remained of her clothing was torn shreds stuck to her back.

"They put up quite a struggle, that pathetic runt Estheim tried to stop us so we've decided to deal with him later." Hiroshi remarked before grinning with savage glee. "I've gotta admit I'm surprised Snow, I thought you and Serah were closer than that."

Snow glared at him, unwilling to believe what was being said, Hiroshi then confirmed their worse nightmare.

"I was amazed when I found out she was a virgin, well...not anymore."

That set them off, Serah had been raped. Snow roared and charged towards Hiroshi but one of the thugs stepped forwards and stopped him. Noel headed straight for the other thug leaving Lightning to go for Hiroshi.

The problem was the thugs, due to their augmentations; it was like fighting a lump of iron, as Snow swung at the first, he simply took the blow. Snow's fist made a dull metallic sound as it hit the thugs face.

"What the hell!" The thug laughed and delivered a powerful backhand knocking Snow to the ground. Noel was being knocked around by his opponent who struck mercilessly.

Lightning tried to attack Hiroshi but he ducked out of the way, she attempted to deliver a kick but he blocked it and then punched her across the face. She staggered back; he had hit her with such incredible force.

"What the, so they got you too." She gasped, realized that Hiroshi had been experimented on too.

"Oh, that's not all, you're gonna love this," He taunted as he raised his right hand up, fist closed.

Suddenly his hand opened up and was replaced with a large blade. Lightning slowly edged backwards and Hiroshi lunged with his blade. She dodged as he continued to strike. Snow and Noel were badly beat up and the thugs weren't even fazed. However Snow realized that while there strength was increased their intelligence was not.

"Noel," He whispered, "When I give the word, move, trust me."

Noel nodded and the thugs charged towards them, Snow and Noel were standing back to back. Snow then called out and they dodged, the thugs ran into each other, stumbling, due to their momentum. Snow took advantage of the moment to grab the thugs and knock their heads together, creating a dull metallic clunk, it was then Noel saw something, they both had a strange device sticking out the back of their necks. Acting purely on instinct he ran over and removed the device. The thugs went still, they were still breathing and looking around but they could no longer move. Their augmentations had been shut down, leaving them helpless.

Lightning was still fighting Hiroshi; he was still trying to use the blade to attack and had managed to cut her arm but gave no serious injury. He was still laughing and taunting them with comments on Serah's rape. Suddenly he stumbled; Hope had managed to get his feet free and had kicked him in the back of the leg. Lightning acted at once and grabbed the arm the blade was extending from and using all her strength ripped the prosthetic from his arm. He howled in pain and she quickly delivered a kick that knocked him to the ground. He glared as Lightning used her foot to pin him, he began to raise his other hand but she threw his own bladed hand into his other arm, pinning it to the ground and drawing fresh screams. She stepped back and breathed a sigh of relief before checking on Snow and Noel; they had taken down their opponents.

"Noel, go call the police, and get some medical help too." She called out, Noel nodded and pulled out his phone as Snow and Lightning headed to where Serah and Hope were.

They quickly untied and ungagged the two; Lightning glanced over at Hope who was holding his usual green neckerchief over the cut on his forehead.

"Hope?" He shook his head, "I'm fine."

She nodded and they turned to Serah, Snow had covered her with his jacket and was holding her as she cried.

"It's okay Serah, it's okay, it's over now." He whispered to her.

Lightning gently reached out and placed her hand on Serah's shoulder. "Serah, I'm so sorry, I know what you're going through."

Snow and Hope stared at Lightning surprised at this; Serah looked up at her sister, still crying, "Light?"

Lightning nodded, "I've been raped too, it was two years ago."

There was solemn silence apart from Hiroshi's whimpers of pain until finally the police showed up, along with paramedics. Due to their injuries they all had to be transported to hospital, in addition to Snow's jacket the paramedics provided Serah with clothes to wear and they were transported to the hospital.

Later, Snow and Noel sat with Serah in her hospital room; they had only been sitting for a few minutes when Lightning and Hope walked in.

"Hiroshi and those thugs have been taking to a secure facility, the augmentations will be removed and they'll be imprisoned for life." Lightning informed the others.

They all sat quietly, Serah had suffered the worse but she was determined to although Hiroshi had lied, while he had torn her clothes and had molested her he had never actually managed to rape her before Lightning, Snow and Noel had shown up. That granted some relief but Serah was still shaken by the molestation and cruel treatment she had endured. Luckily she knew she would have Lightning and Snow to help her overcome her terror and focus on recovering.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	24. Family Problems

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 24 of my Final Fantsay XIII story, enjoy.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 24: Family Problems<strong>

It was Saturday 6 November 2 APW, almost a month had passed since Hiroshi had kidnapped Serah, she had slowly but surely recovered from her ordeal thanks to Snow, Lightning and the others. Lightning had been called away from her home however since she had received a call from Cid to conduct a reconnaissance mission. It was confirmed that PSICOM were acting, once again kidnapping people to use in their experiments. However they had stopped for some reason and the last confirmed location of their activities was Nautilus so Lightning headed there, her Blazefire Sabre strapped in place and began her investigation. As usual Nautilus was packed with people and the festivities were in full swing.

'_This is where most of Cocoon's energy resources are expended,'_ She thought to herself, _'We ruin the continued survival of Cocoon, all for a bit of fun, it's so unusual.'_

She sighed and continued to look through the town. Unbeknownst to her she was being watched and followed by Sazh Katzroy. He was on the phone to his mysterious boss.

"She's already working on the mission boss," He said into the phone, "You sure you want me to keep following her."

He listened as the boss replied and nodded, "Okay, I'll keep at it. I've gotta ask, are you sure she's still dependable."

After hearing the bosses reply he sighed, "You _do_ know about what's happening with her right."

He heard the reply and finally agreed before hanging up and following Lightning.

Lightning continued and as she walked she heard all the talk and gossip around her.

"Seems like things have calmed down now." A man was saying, the woman he was talking to however replied negatively, "The people that were kidnapped haven't come back, what if those people strike again."

Lightning sighed; she knew the kidnapped people would come back, but with PSICOM augmentations. She walked around, listening in to the conversations, still unaware of Sazh tailing her, giving updates to the boss. After listening in to the conversations Lightning learned the area where people had been disappearing, towards the south side of Nautilus. She hurried over there and began looking around; this area of Nautilus was slightly less populated and had a quieter atmosphere. She continued to listen in and discovered that there was an unpopulated building in this area, it had been empty since the kidnappings had stopped, this had to be PSICOM's headquarters in the area.

'_This is it, it's in here,'_ She pondered as she observed the building, _'Better try and get in, see what's going on.'_

As Sazh watched Lightning moved around to the side of the building and, after picking the lock on the side door she opened it and slipped in. Once inside she saw obvious signs of a hasty exit, also, she noticed, signs that the inhabitants had indeed being holding people hostage here. She also saw how they had been transported, the back door of the building opened out to where an airship could dock. She felt slightly disappointed with the fact there was little in the way of evidence of the previous occupants. That was until she saw some documents lying on one of the tables; she hurried over and examined them.

"Paydirt," She muttered as she read the documents. They contained the details about PSICOM's shipments, there was also a log containing information about the prisoners.

Lightning smirked and pulled out her phone. She cringed when she noticed something; she had three missed calls from Serah. Shaking her head she quickly prioritized and called Cid instantly.

"Cid, it's me, listen, I've found the location PSICOM was using to store and transport their prisoners."

"Good, give me the address, I'll send an investigation team in, make sure the place is safe and secure, then you can go home."

Lightning gave him the address, hung up and scoured the building for any dangers. Finally ensuring the area was clear she left the building and returned home as the investigation team arrived, Sazh watched as she left before finally returned home himself.

When Lightning returned home she found Serah waiting for her, she looked annoyed.

"Light, where were you, I've been calling you and you never picked up."

Lightning sighed, "Look, Serah, I was busy okay, and I…" Serah then cut across her, "Yeah, busy, that's always your excuse, where did you go, and why do you have Dad's sword with you?"

Lightning groaned and shook her head, "Serah I'm sorry, but I can't talk about it."

"Can't…or won't?"

Lightning forced herself to remain calm; this wasn't like Serah but then again, since the attack by Hiroshi Serah had been prone to sudden outbursts very now and again.

'_I never thought I'd even think it but…I need Snow's help,'_ Lightning thought to herself, whenever Serah did have one of her outbursts only Snow seemed able to calm her down.

"Look Serah, I know you're having difficulty but please, just drop it, I can't talk about it, even if I wanted too." She stated before trying to head upstairs.

"Honestly, you keep telling me what to do, I can take care of myself you know…You're my sister, not my parent!"

Lightning froze when she heard that, as always, no matter who it was, anyone who spoke about her parents brought forth her temper. She turned back to face Serah and her own anger dwarfed that of her sister.

"Fine, that's the way you want it, you want independence, you want me to stop 'telling you what to do'" She narrowed her eyes and stepped forwards, the anger disappearing from Serah's face.

"Well, there's the door, use it!"

Serah gasped, realizing what had just happened and realizing her mistake.

"Light, I'm sorry I…"

"Just go," Lightning snapped before talking upstairs angrily. Serah was too scared to argue and ran from the house, crying. Lightning had stormed upstairs and put her father's Blazefire Sabre back in its case before heading back downstairs. It was twenty minutes later and by then it was raining heavily and a storm was expected to be on the way. Lightning looked out the window, already regretting her loss of temper.

'_Shit, what have I done?'_ She forced herself to think rationally, _'She'll still be in Bodhum.'_

With that she quickly pulled on her jacket and hurried outside.

The rain was coming down hard as Serah knocked on the door, she was soaked. There was a short pause and then the door was finally answered by Snow.

"Serah, what are you doing coming over here in the rain like that?"

"Lightning and I had a fight, I…I was wondering if…" She didn't need to finish as Snow smiled and nodded before stepping aside, "C'mon in."

Serah stepped inside; Snow sighed and quickly darted into the bathroom before returning with a towel.

"Here," He handed it to her; she smiled and quickly dried off, "C'mon, it's warmer in the living room."

They headed through and sat down, Serah smiled as she felt herself warming up.

"So, what was the fight about?" Snow asked, Serah sighed and began to explain. When she was finished Snow sighed, "Okay, I know she's touchy about your family but seriously, Lightning overreacted if you ask me."

"I know but still, I should've just left it," Serah replied, before adding sadly, "The reason behind her nightmares and the way she acted for so long, even after all this time…She's still recovering from the after effects of…you know."

Snow nodded, finally Serah spoke again, "Knowing Lightning she already regrets it," She then realized, "And with this weather, she's gonna be worried sick about me."

"Call her; let her know you're okay."

Serah agreed and picked up the phone and called home, but received no answer. She sighed and left a message before hanging up.

"Looks like things are just gonna get worse," Snow said, pointing out of the window, Serah nodded, "Guess I'm staying here tonight."

Both smiled before finally kissing.

Lightning meanwhile was still trying to find her and having no luck, just then she heard something, someone calling her name, she turned around and saw the figure approaching her, she tensed but then recognized him.

"Hope?" Hope looked at her confused, "What are you doing out here?"

"Long story but, I'm looking for Serah." She explained, Hope sighed, "Look, I can tell you're worried, but that storm is gonna come here anytime, I think we should go back, we'll see what we can do."

Lightning was hesitant but agreed and together they headed back to the Farron Residence. They arrived just in time and got in just before the storm hit. They removed their jackets and headed through to the living room; Lightning sighed and flopped down on the couch.

'_Great, now what?'_

"Uh Light," She looked up at Hope, he was indicating the phone, the blinking Light indicated she had a message, she got up and hit the button and then listened.

"_You have…one new message."_

There was a beep and then the message played.

"Light it's me," It was Serah; Lightning leaned in closer, listening desperately.

"Look, I'm sorry about our argument, I hope you can forgive me. Don't worry about me, I'm at Snow's, I'm safe, I'll be back tomorrow, the storm should've blown out by them, later."

The message ended and Lightning let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

'_She's at Snow's, so much for thinking rationally; I never thought to go there.' _Lightning shook her head and smiled, _'At least she's okay.'_

She turned around and saw Hope smiling, she smiled back.

"Everything's okay." Hope nodded, "I heard, I just got off the phone with Mom; she knows I'm here and I can't get home cause of the storm."

Lightning nodded, "Looks like you're stuck here for the night."

"Yeah."

It was late so they decided to get ready for bed, as he didn't have any pyjamas or anything Hope simply removed his jeans, Lightning was in her usual holey sweatpants and frayed tank-top, the scars on her arms and shoulders of course visible, it was also possible to notice some of the scars on her legs due to the holes in the sweatpants. Hope noticed that, as usual Lightning was uncomfortable with her scars being visible, but knew better than to press the issue. After setting up a makeshift bed on the couch Lightning retreated to her room, he realized then that she felt uncomfortable letting him see her scars, she was extremely self-conscious about them.

'_I can't do anything tonight, but someday, I'll talk to her about it, see if I cane help her overcome her, insecurity.'_

With that decision made he drifted off to sleep as the storm blew outside.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	25. Making Up

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

****Chapter 25 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**The Light to all Fears: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, yeah I thought having Hope kidnapped to would make it more interesting, I suppose I could have but I didn't think of that at the time.**

**Whistlewind Wolf: Cruel and sick as he is Hope is still a civilian, Lightning doesn't condone killing civilian's. She didn't as Serah was having an outburst, even if she had said that Serah still wouldn't have stopped.**

**Lightarcana: Yeah, he certainly is, he's sick and twisted, glad you are enjoying it :)**

**Beloved Nightmare Union: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, I'm actually overwhelmed, didn't think I'd get this much support. Actually she couldn't have used her magic or Odin, remember the secrecy clause in her contract with the Guardian Crops. Also Sazh's connections are actually higher up than Amodar. Yeah, Lightning's rape is now out in the open, it was horrific for her.**

****Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 25: Making Up<strong>

The following day Hope woke up and saw Lightning, already awake, she smiled as he sat up.

"Hey." She greeted, he smiled and returned the greeting.

He quickly got dressed and joined her in the kitchen, after looking through a few cupboards she sighed.

"Great," She muttered, Hope looked at her, confused, "What's wrong?"

"The only food we have for breakfast needs to be cooked." She explained, Hope looked at her confused and she shifted uncomfortably, "Serah, always handled the cooking."

He nodded, understanding, "If you want I could show you." He offered.

She looked at him surprised, "You know how to cook?"

"Yeah, my Mom taught me," He explained before laughing, "Seriously you should all the other Mother's in Palumpolum talking about her."

Lightning looked even more confused so Hope explained, "They're envious of her, since she's the best cook in Palumpolum."

Lightning nodded smirking and joined Hope as they began preparing breakfast. As they worked Hope thought about Lightning's scars.

'_She's so self-conscious of them, she doesn't want people seeing them if she can help it.' _He pondered, _'I mean, the times she has shown them without worrying about it, the first time was when we finally got together and that was because she knew I was fascinated with seeing her like that, so strong yet, vulnerable at the same time.'_

Lightning looked up at him, noticing his daydreaming, "Hope, what next?"

He jolted out of his thoughts and continued to help her, his thoughts continued at the back of his mind.

'_The only other time she willingly let people she her scars was when Alyssa was trying to seduce me with those God-awful clothes,'_ He internally shuddered at the memory, _'That time, she did it to prove a point.'_

He decided it would be best not to bring up the issue unless he really had too and completely focused on helping Lightning cook breakfast.

They had just finished when there was a knock at the door, Lightning hurried over to answer it, it was Serah and Snow. Almost as soon as the door was open Serah threw herself at Lightning, hugging her tightly.

"Light, I'm so sorry, I…I didn't mean to…"

Lightning shook her head and replied, "No Serah, you shouldn't be apologizing, it's me, and I'm sorry, I never should've yelled at you."

Hope and Snow watched the happy scene as the sisters reconciled. Finally Lightning looked up at Snow.

"Thanks, for keeping her safe." She said, Snow smirked and replied, "Oh, that had to difficult for you."

Lightning rolled her eyes, "Don't push it."

Snow just laughed and all four of them enjoyed the breakfast Lightning had prepared with Hope's help. Finally, after breakfast Snow and Hope left and returned to their homes. After clearing everything away Lightning told Serah about the lack of food and they both headed off to go shopping.

As they drove Serah glanced over at Lightning and then sighed.

"Light, I know I've been going through a difficult time because of what Hiroshi did but, I still shouldn't have said what I did."

"It's fine Serah, I already told you that," Lightning replied, she paused and then added, "But that's not all on your mind is it?"

Serah nodded and then continued, "Your nightmares, you have them constantly, because you were raped, right?"

Lightning swallowed nervously and her eyes clouded as she remembered that dark chamber where she had been mercilessly tortured. Finally she nodded.

"Yeah, it was the same time I got all those scars, and I wasn't just raped once, but several times."

Serah felt the tears in her eyes as she heard this, "Oh God, Light, I'm so sorry."

Lightning shook her head, "It's fine, don't worry about it." But Serah shook her head, "Listen, Light, I've been seeing a councillor about what happened to me, maybe you should see him too, maybe he can help."

Lightning shrugged, "Maybe, I'll think about it." Serah smiled and nodded, "That's all I ask."

By the time they finished they had arrived at the shops and got out of the car and headed inside.

They headed in and as they were buying more food they heard their names being called. They turned and saw Fang and Vanille approaching them. They smiled and greeted their friends and continued to walk around for a while, mostly just window shopping, before finally walking to the nearest fast-food restaurant and taking their seats. As they ate they chatted about school, Lightning and Serah told them about the incident with Hiroshi, Lightning could tell Fang already knew, having likely heard it from Cid. However it was as Vanille had gone to place the empty food containers in the garbage that something happened. One of the guys who had been in the restaurant approached her.

"Hey babe, you know if you're bored hanging out with you can come hang with me" He remarked in what he obviously thought was a suave voice.

Vanille rolled her eyes, "Sorry, not interested, I already have someone." The boy smirked, "Oh yeah, well I don't see him, c'mon, he doesn't have to know."

By this time Fang had stood up and was approaching the guy, Vanille saw this and smirked, "When did I say it was a guy." The boy looked confused, "What's that supposed to mean."

"She means back off, she's dating me," Fang cut in with a smirk as the boy spun around, eyes wide.

He stuttered several times before turning back and heading back over to his friends who were laughing at his misfortune. Fang, Vanille, Lightning and Serah all left the restaurant laughing and, still laughing, headed home, their problems resolved for the time being.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	26. Christmas Engagements

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 27of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Lightarcana: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, yeah, loved writing that scene.**

**TheWarrior12: Thanks, yeah, I figured it would be a sweet moment between them, yup, just shows, never mess with Fang's girlfriend huh :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 26: Christmas Engagements<strong>

It was the 25 December 2 APW, it was a snowy Saturday, Christmas Day. Hope and Nora had invited everyone to their house to celebrate; Hope was especially looking forward to seeing Lightning as usual. In terms of gifts Lightning had confessed difficulty in choosing but Hope had smiled and said that she didn't need to as he already had the best gift, her. She had blushed at that but smiled, he was fully dressed in smart casual clothes and was waiting for the others, Nora had already set up the table and everything else and was also waiting. Sure enough at that moment there was a knock at the door, Hope answered and saw Fang and Vanille, dressed their best. Fang was in a black knee length dress that fastened with a brooch on her left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder bare and black hi-heels. Vanille's dress was dark red in colour and strapless, her heels were the same colour as her dress.

"Hey kiddo," Fang greeted cheerfully, Hope smiled, "Hey, c'mon in."

He stepped back and they stepped in, "Merry Christmas you guys."

Vanille smiled, "Merry Christmas Hope," Fang's smile was wider, "It certainly is for us."

Hope looked at her confused and Vanille explained, "Fang and I are now officially engaged."

"Cool, that's great you guys."

They headed through to the living room where they sat and talked while waiting for the others, Nora also congratulated the two on their engagement.

Soon later the NORA crew had arrived, also dressed their best, as was Noel. Finally Snow, Serah and Lightning arrived, Snow dressed like the rest of the guys, smart casual, Serah was dressed in an ankle length spaghetti strap dress, pink in colour, she also wore semi-transparent heels. Lightning however wasn't wearing a dress; instead her clothes consisted of a pair of black skinny jeans, a dressy black long-sleeved blouse with ruffled sleeves and black knee high boots. Hope smiled and they kissed as the others made their greetings. They continued to kiss until Nora cleared her throat. They pulled back smiling and blushing as the others laughed, they all sat at the table and prepared for Christmas dinner. Nora brought the food through and everybody began to dig in and ate, enjoying their meal, occasionally talking, the couples were holding hands under the table. As they finished their meal, the TV programme ended and was replaced with a live broadcast from Eden, the Primarch was about to deliver his Christmas speech.

"People of Cocoon, I give you warm greetings this fine Christmas Day." Dysley announced to the nation, dressed in his finest robes and looking quite regal, "I hope you all have a magnificent day and enjoy yourselves on this fine day."

The group all watched, Lightning and Fang kept a straight face but they were suspicious, knowing he was not as benevolent as he appeared.

"As you know, Cocoon has suffered strife and the Sanctum has been unsteady at times, but now, I feel it necessary to point out, we have peace and stability. As always, Cocoon stands as a beacon of strength and determination to all."

With that the broadcast ended and the regular TV resumed.

_Eden_

As he finished the broadcast Dysley sat back and waited until the last of the TV crew were out of the room, he then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally, it is safe you two." He said as the High Inquisitor and the Grand General stepped into the room, still hidden in shadows.

"Your Excellency, We are continuing to build our forces; we are almost back at full strength." The Grand General explained, Dysley nodded, "Good, High Inquisitor, how are your experimental weapons coming along?"

The High Inquisitor saluted before responding, "Very well, we're making vast improvements over those failures, the boy and those two thugs."

Dysley nodded, he was still annoyed at that failure. The High Inquisitor continued, "However, I am concerned, our magic troops lack the strength I want them to have."

Dysley narrowed his eyes, "And how are we supposed to strengthen them."

The High Inquisitor pondered for a minute, "I think we need to activate our sleeper agent, she can get DNA from one of those able to use natural magic, then we can find a way to implement that DNA into our experimental soldiers."

Dysley smirked, "Very well, activate her as soon as possible and finish your experiments."

They both saluted and left the room.

_Estheim Residence_

The group had finished their Christmas dinner and had cleaned everything up and were sitting around, talking and enjoying the Christmas TV shows. As they sat, Snow looked uncertain about something, he finally looked over at Lightning, she saw him and raised her eyebrow as if to tell him 'now or never', he nodded, his decision made. He turned to Serah.

"Serah, there's something important I need to ask you."

Serah looked confused, "What's up?" Snow then produced the special present he had for her.

"Serah, would you do me the honour, of marrying me." He announced as he presented her with the most beautiful engagement ring she had ever seen.

Lightning smirked as she watched, Serah's eyes filled with tears of joy as she replied, "Yes."

Snow smiled and slipped the ring onto her finger and they kissed, Hope also smiled, "Guess Vanille and Fang aren't the only ones now, huh."

"Guess so," Lightning replied. Hope looked at her, "I'm surprised, I thought you were, uncertain of Snow dating her, but you're gonna let them get married?"

Lightning sighed and shrugged, "Well, I know I can trust Snow to take care of her, so, yeah, I can allow it."

Hope simply smiled and shook his head, "Well, I think it's great."

Lightning nodded in agreement.

Later in the night the others were preparing to leave. Lightning was talking to Hope.

"Listen Hope, is something bothering you, I've noticed the way you've been looking at me the past few days."

Hope gulped, the reason behind his strange behaviour was due to him trying to figure out how to ask her about her scars and see if he could get to the bottom of her self-consciousness, but he wasn't ready to admit this to her yet.

"It's nothing; don't worry about it." he replied, Lightning shrugged, "Okay then, well, I'll see you tomorrow."

Hope nodded and after kissing they parted, Hope headed to his room to get ready for bed while Lightning headed home with Snow and Serah, all in all, it had been the best Christmas she could remember and it was thanks to Hope that she felt that way.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	27. Back to School Again

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

****Chapter 27 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**The Light to all Fears: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, Well, wait and see :)**

**Beloved Nightmare Union: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, I have to say you are pretty close about Dysley, all will be revealed about him in chapter 34, in this story the Fal'Cie are basically the old Gods, faded by Legend and presumed extinct.**

**TheWarrior12: Yeah, thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yup, Fang and Vanille are engaged and so is Snow and Serah, read on to find out.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 27: Back to School Again<strong>

It was Monday, January 17 3 APW, the group was heading back to school, the Christmas vacation was over. Snow was driving to school; Serah sat up in the front passenger seat, content. Lightning sat in the back, relaxed, waiting to get to school to meet up with Hope. They finally arrived and saw that Fang and Vanille engaged in a game of 'suck my face', Hope, Noel and the NORA crew stood nearby, waiting, they got out of the car and approached, Hope smiled at Lightning, she smiled back and they shared a brief welcoming kiss before parting, still smiling. They hung around and chatted for a while before the bell rang and they headed off to their first class, Lightning, Snow, Serah and Noel heading for English. When they arrived they saw that Alyssa was already there before them, but no one else. Lightning fully intended to ignore her; however she noticed something unusual, Alyssa turned towards her. Her eyes were unusually blank; she walked over and stopped in front of her.

"What?" She snapped, expecting Alyssa to come up with some snarky remark.

What happened next however took her by surprise. Rather than make some biting remark Alyssa just lashed out at her, scratching her face. Taken by surprise Lightning stumbled back and fell over, Alyssa had scratched her hard enough to leave three cuts on her left cheek.

Lightning looked up and saw that Alyssa was trying to attack her again, only Snow was holding her back, Serah and Noel were at Lightning's side. Serah glared up at Alyssa.

"What is wrong with you?" Serah snapped angrily, Lightning then realized something, that blank look in Alyssa's eyes, she had seen it before. "Guys, hold on."

They looked at her, Snow still holding Alyssa back. Lightning pointed out what she had noticed.

"She's not acting on our own free will," She explained, "Look at her eyes."

The others then noticed it; Noel was the one who voiced their conclusion, "Looks like she's been hypnotized."

Lightning nodded, _'I can't believe it, that look, she's been hypnotized alright, but in a specific way, the very way PSICOM control their sleeper agents.'_

It now dawned on Lightning that this was exactly what had happened, Alyssa was a sleeper agent for PSICOM. But she couldn't have been for long, since PSICOM had been disbanded two years ago and only recently, secretly reformed. Snow was still struggled to hold Alyssa back.

"Any way to get her to snap out of it?" He asked, Lightning nodded, "I've seen this sort of thing before, there's a pressure point at the base of the neck, press that and she should snap out of it."

Snow did so and Alyssa fell limp.

Lightning walked over and checked Alyssa, she was unconscious but okay, definitely free of the hypnosis.

"What's going on here?" They looked up, it was the teacher. Lightning quickly took charge of the situation, "Alyssa just collapsed, I think she fainted, I was gonna take her to the nurse."

The teacher nodded, "Very well, what happened to your face Miss Farron?"

"Alyssa tried to grab on to me for support when she began falling, she accidentally scratched my face."

The teacher nodded again and, after Lightning lifted Alyssa into a standing position and slung one of Alyssa's arms over her shoulders and, supporting her, Lightning began walking to the nurse's office. As they walked Alyssa groaned and opened her eyes, she saw the situation she was in and struggled.

"What the hell, get off me?" She began but Lightning glared at her and replied, completely serious, "You fainted and tried to grab me for support as you fell, but accidentally scratched my face instead, understand."

Alyssa's eyes widened and realized what Lightning was saying, it was a cover story she needed to corroborate to the nurse.

"Oh God, Lightning, I...I'm so sorry, I..." She began but Lightning shook her head, "You weren't in control, but that still doesn't excuse you from the way you acted towards me and Hope."

Alyssa lowered her head, "R-right, but even if I wasn't in control, I still knew what I was doing."

They arrived at the nurse's office and luckily she believed their cover story. She had Alyssa lie on the bed and then treated Lightning's cuts to avoid infection; she then had to leave to attend to another incident.

Alyssa looked up at Lightning nervously, Lightning looked complete professional and serious.

"I think I know who did this to you, what did they want you to do?" She asked, Alyssa lowered her head, "I honestly don't know, I just, felt weird and I felt like my body was acting on its own when I attacked you there."

Lightning nodded, it sounded just as she remembered it from hearing captured sleeper agents as they were out of their hypnotic state.

"Listen, those people who hypnotized you could regain control whenever they want, but there's a way to help. I know people who can ensure you never fall under their control again."

Alyssa looked up at her, amazed, "R-really. Lightning nodded and explained, "I'll take you there after school, I'll have to call ahead."

"Okay, thanks...Lightning."

She nodded and prepared to head back to class, she knew Alyssa would be released and allowed to return to class eventually. Lightning returned to class and Serah turned to her.

"Lightning?" Lightning shook her head, "It's okay, I've sorted it out, after today it won't happen again.

Serah nodded knowing that was all the answer she was going to get.

The rest of the day passed quietly, Alyssa kept her head down and no further attacks occurred. The scratches she had given Lightning had led to Alyssa ending up with blood under her fingernails, but it was gone by Lunch Time. They stuck to the cover story so no one else knew what had happened. Finally, by the end of the day everyone was heading home, Lightning had made excuses so she could stay behind and once the others were gone she crept out and found Alyssa.

"Good, you decided to trust me." She stated simply, Alyssa nodded, "I'm here, so, where now?"

Lightning sighed, "Okay look, I've made some calls, a car will show up to take us to where we need to go, it'll be here soon."

Just then Lightning spotted something, a woman walking out of the school; she was carrying a semi-transparent bag with what looked like swabs in it.

"That's the woman who cleaned your blood out from my nails," Alyssa explained, "Although she wasn't wearing that mask when she did so."

Lightning narrowed her eyes; the woman was wearing a mask she recognized, the same type of mask as the silver haired man who had been in charge of the kidnappings in Bodhum.

'_She's PSICOM, something about her feels familiar, why is she taking...'_ Suddenly it dawned on her, _'My DNA, that's what she's taking, that's what they were after and why they had Alyssa attack me, but why do they want it.'_

She couldn't get any answers however as the woman got into a car and left quickly. Shortly afterwards the car that had come to pick them up had arrived, they got in and drove off.

They arrived at the Guardian Crops medical office, Lightning had already explained what was going on and they were expecting them, Alyssa was taken to receive treatment to free her from the hypnosis. Lightning meanwhile called Cid and mentioned the incident she had witnessed; Cid promised to investigate immediately, satisfied with everything Lighting got transport back home and put the incident to the back of her mind. She walked inside; Serah had already finished preparing dinner.

"Hey Light, did you have something to do with work?" She asked, clearly asking why she was late. Lightning nodded, "Yeah, it's all sorted out now."

Serah nodded and smiled, both sisters ate in silence. Lightning later received a message to confirm that Alyssa's treatment was successful and that she had been returned home.

'_Good, now she won't cause anymore trouble,' _Lightning thought happily. Now she could leave the incidents that disturbed her to the back of her mind until she could get answers.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	28. Birthday Shopping

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 28 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, just a short one this time, but still important, enjoy.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 28: Birthday Shopping<strong>

Sunday 5 February 3 APW; ever since the incident on their first day back Alyssa caused no more trouble for them. Lightning was focusing on something much more important however; it was just six days until Hope's sixteenth birthday and she was still to find a gift for him. She had already figured out what she was going to do, Hope had recently passed his driving test and had had his eyes on a particular car. Lightning decide to buy it and offer it to Hope as an early birthday present. As such she was on her way to the car dealership to purchase it, unaware that, once again, she was being tailed by Sazh. Sazh was once again on orders from his boss to tail Lightning and keep an eye on her.

"Yeah, she's acting just as predicted boss," He said over the phone, "Are you sure we should let this go on?"

"Just what is the problem Sazh," The boss asked rather casually.

Sazh sighed and thought for a moment before replying, "It's just…recently she's become a lot more open, and that is good for her but…What if she's needed on a mission, don't you think this new empathy could compromise her effectiveness as a soldier?"

The boss gave a short chuckle, "Trust me, it's fine, Lightning knows how to compartmentalize, if we need her she'll put whatever unprofessional feelings she may have to the side and focus on the mission."

There was silence as the boss contemplated something; Sazh continued to follow Lightning, unobtrusively.

Sazh continued to watch for a while before the boss spoke again.

"Where is she now?" He asked, Sazh watched for a moment and then replied, "Going into a car dealership, if what I heard is right, then she's buying one as a present for her boyfriend, it's his birthday next Sunday."

The Boss pondered this development before replying, "Good, at least she's got someone she can have a serious connection with now."

"Boss?"

There was a sigh before he responded, "Sazh, Lightning has spent almost eleven years of her life as a soldier, true we need her for this mission but…after it, after everything she's been through. I think she deserves a chance at a real life, and this boy is helping her achieve that."

"So what you're saying is, don't try to hold back their relationship…encourage it."

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Right, well I'll keep an eye on things." Sazh confirmed, the Boss gave a short chuckle, "Ah yes, of course, you're invited to that birthday party too, are you not?"

"That's right; I'll be there with Edna and Dajh."

"Right, well, have a good time."

With that Sazh ended his communication with the Boss and resumed his surveillance on Lightning. He wasn't worried about this mission; it wasn't unusual for someone in his department to spy on someone from another Division, or even one of their own. It was done to ensure the safety of that member, particularly if they were AWOL, or, as was the case involving Lightning when she first went AWOL, mentally and emotionally disturbed.

'_She's made an excellent recovery though,'_ Sazh thought to himself, _'Guess we have Hope to thank for that.'_

He continued his mission, feeling slightly more at ease.

Lightning meanwhile had completed her purchase of the car and was waiting as the man behind the counter got the keys.

'_I know Hope's likely to complain about me buying such an extravagant gift but, in all honestly, he deserves the best as far as I'm concerned.' _She thought to herself happily.

Finally the man returned and handed her the keys.

"Here you are Miss, have a nice day," he said as she took them, "Thank you, I will."

With that she headed out and got in the new car and began driving it to her house where Hope was currently waiting for her, Serah had texted her to inform her about it. She parked in the driveway and quickly headed inside, Hope smiled as she walked in, she smiled back and they kissed.

"Hey Hope, come outside for a minute, I've got something to show you." He was confused but followed.

Once outside his eyes widened in amazement when he saw the car.

"Light?" He gasped out, she smirked, "Consider it an early birthday present, why wait, especially since you can drive."

"Light, I um, this is…" He saw the look in her eye and knew it would be pointless to argue that this was too much, so he gave a happy sigh, "Thank you."

Lightning smiled and handed him the keys, "C'mon, let's go test it out."

They headed into the car and Hope drove them away, Serah watched from the front door with a wide smile.

_Eden_

The High Inquisitor entered Dysley's office to find him and the Grand General waiting. She gave a smug smile and then saluted.

"Your Excellency, I am pleased to inform you that my hypothesis was correct."

Dysley raised and eyebrow, "Indeed."

"Yes, as I predicted, using Lightning Farron's DNA we have increased the capabilities of our magic soldiers exponentially." She explained.

Dysley nodded, "Good, when shall our armies be ready?"

The Grand General saluted and replied, "We shall be fully replenished and fully trained by 5 March 3 APW."

"Good, then that is when we shall act."

The decision made they prepared themselves, getting ready to act as soon as they were ready.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	29. Happy Birthday

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 29 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Jlbean: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, it's Caius and no Sazh doesn't work for him, he works for someone else in the Guardian Corps, although as you'll see, someone is working for Caius.**

**Miya: Yup, they are, thanks, glad you are enjoying it, here is the next chapter.**

**Beloved Nightmare Union: Thanks, actually no, it isn't Caius, Sazh is talking to, although Caius has got someone working for him, as will be revealed in this chapter. Yeah you were right about Alyssa too, well she's free now and won't stir up trouble again.**

Note: This chapter is set at the beach so I will describe some character outfits and leave ther est to imagination, although for Serah, she is wearing her swimwaer DLC from XIII-2, just to clarify things.

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 29: Happy Birthday<strong>

It was Saturday 11 February 3 APW, it was Hope Estheim's 16th Birthday. It was planned to take place in Bodhum as a beach party with a barbeque set up for the food, it was taking place on the beach, not to far from the Farron Residence. Hope and Nora had already arrived and the others were arriving now. Fang and Vanille, all dressed for the beach and inseparable as usual, Fang was in a black bikini and Vanille was wearing a dark red one, both wore sandals and were chatting away to each other as they arrived. Hope smiled as they walked over.

"Hey guys." He greeted, they both smiled and hugged him, "Happy birthday Hope!" Vanille replied cheerfully.

Fang smirked, "Happy Birthday kiddo, trust me, today's gonna be a great day." Hope laughed, "I can tell."

Fang and Vanille set themselves up as Hope went to greet the NORA crew who had just arrived. Gadot and Lebreau had of course teased him about not growing any taller but he brushed it off, he was still talking to Maqui and Yuj when Noel arrived.

"Hey, what's up guys?" Noel greeted as the others turned to face him; Hope couldn't help but smirk, _'Everybodys happy today and for once we're actually having such amazing weather on my birthday.'_

Shortly later Sazh, Edna and Dajh arrived too; Sazh and Edna had volunteered to man the barbeque grill and, given the frequent trips to the diner they were friends anyway so of course Hope invited them without having to think about it.

About ten minutes later, after everyone had set everything up, Snow and Serah arrived, naturally dressed for the beach, Hope however noticed that they seemed concerned about something.

"What's wrong?" He asked, Serah sighed, "It's Lightning." Hope gulped, "Is she okay?"

"She seems, hesitant to come here, I don't know, she just…Something's bothering her."

Hope thought for a moment, "Hey, don't worry about it, I'll go talk to her."

With that he hurried to the Farron Residence. When he arrived he found that, just as planned the place was set up for everyone to stay the night after the party. He finally found Lightning standing in front of the bathroom mirror.

"Light?" She spun around, surprised and Hope blushed and looked away, she was only in her underwear.

"Hope," She sighed in relief, "I'm sorry I…"

Hope shook his head, "What's wrong Light, why don't you wanna come down to the beach?"

She looked tense, nervous and finally she sighed, "I have to wear that," She said, gesturing to a black tankini before continuing, "Which means, I'll be showing more of my scars than ever and…"

Hope finally understood, Lightning's self-consciousness with her scars always plagued her and now she was stuck. Hope smiled and, overcoming his own insecurity of seeing Lightning in just her underwear, he walked over to her and hugged her.

"It's all right, don't worry," He lightly traced one of the scars on her upper arm, she looked at him, he could see the doubt in her eyes and continued.

"There's only two people whose opinion should matter, mine and yours." Lightning gulped and looked nervous again. Hope smiled and kissed the same scar he had been tracing with his finger. He kissed the one next to it before then confirming, "And I don't care how badly scarred you are, you're still beautiful to me."

Lightning smiled and then kissed him before pulling back, "Thank you, I'll, I'll be down in a minute, just, let me get ready."

Hope nodded and returned to the beach as Lightning got herself dressed for the beach.

Sure enough, shortly after Hope returned Lightning emerged and joined them. To her relief there was no buzzing speculation, no staring, if anyone noticed her, now more visible, scars, they didn't say anything. As she joined the group they were interrupted by a phone ringing, it was Noel's.

"I'll be right back," He said as he walked off to a quieter part of the beach and answered it.

"Yeah," He greeted the person on the other end of the phone with casual familiarity.

"Anything I should know about," The person on the other side asked, Noel sighed, "There was a possibility she slipping back into her shell, due to her conflict about her scars but, Hope reassured her, she's out with us on the beach now."

"Good, I'm glad to hear she's finally getting a life beyond being a soldier." The person paused before adding, "Thank you for continuing to keep an eye on her for me."

Noel sighed, "I never really understood something, why are you so worried about her?"

The person chuckled lightly, "She lost her parents because of the war, she joined the Guardian Corps, angry, burning for revenge, but she didn't lose herself completely, thanks to her finally getting a Father figure, me…So call it, Fatherly concern."

Noel nodded, "I get it now, thanks. Wait, if you are so concerned, why don't you come check on her yourself?"

"Because I am a relic of war, a war the people, would rather forget…Lightning does not need me anymore, even if she can't admit it to herself."

Noel sighed and nodded, "Alright then, I'll continue to keep an eye on her…Caius."

Caius Ballad gave another small chuckle before hanging up. Noel also hung up and returned to the others, putting his phone back with his belongings, as he walked over to them Vanille called out.

"C'mon Noel hurry up, we're gonna have a swimming race."

Noel smirked and joined the others as they got ready, Hope didn't have to compete, special privilege of being the birthday boy, but he wanted to take part anyway so they all got ready and prepare for their race as Nora and the Katzroy's watched them happily.

_Eden_

Rygdea sneaked along the corridor and hid behind the nearest pillar, he had a clear view now of Dysley's office. He could see the Primarch; he was talking to the two shadowy figures again, the Grand General and the High Inquisitor.

"So, all matters are progressing swiftly then." He asked them.

"Yes sir," The High Inquisitor replied, "I have almost finished with the augmentations to the troops and our experimental weapons are close to completion."

Dysley nodded and turned to the Grand General for his report, "I have drilled the troops and prepared everything, we will be ready to act immediately on 5 March."

"Good, soon we will be able to end our charades," Dysley announced, "Soon we will be prepared to make our true selves known."

With that he smirked and the Grand General and High Inquisitor stepped out of the shadows, revealing their true identities for the first time.

Rygdea gasped,_ 'No way, it's not just PSICOM that's back…High Inquisitor Jihl Nabaat, and Grand General Yaag Rosch, it's them.'_

At that moment Dysley looked up and glared, "It seems we have an intruder."

Rygdea then realized he had been found. With a casual press of a button Dysley sounded the alarm and Rosch drew his sabre and headed straight for Rygdea's hiding place.

"Uh oh."

Rygdea ran and managed to dodge the sword blow but suddenly Nabaat was there and, charging up her officer's baton she delivered a devastating blow, allowing Rosch to attack with his sabre, injured and bleeding however Rygdea managed to escape them and, in desperation leapt in the small skiff airship he found before flying away.

_Bodhum Beach_

The group was laughing having just finished their swimming race. Thanks to all the training Lightning had given him, Hope had actually beaten Snow, much to everyone's surprise. Although he had lost to Lightning herself, who had won the race. They had just finished drying off when Sazh called over to them.

"Okay guys, foods ready, come and get it!"

They all hurried over to the barbeque. After getting their food they all sat down and ate, talking, joking laughing, enjoying themselves. Lightning and Hope sat together, Hope smiled and delicately kissed another of her scars, Lightning closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling.

"So," She finally said, "Enjoying your birthday Hope."

"Yeah, all the more, with you here," He replied causing her to blush. After a brief pause she finally spoke again, her voice softer than he had ever heard it, "Hope, I wanted to thank you."

He looked at her, confused and she explained, "You're the only person I've trusted enough to see my scars, and you didn't…You actually, made me feel good about them, there a part of me now, I have to accept that…but with you, it's easier for me to do so."

He smiled and this time kissed her on the lips, "I'm just happy that you're happy."

The others smiled as they watched the touching scene and the other couples took their chance to kiss their loved ones too.

_Guardian Corps Medical Bay_

Rygdea was currently undergoing treatment for his injuries, they were worse than initially thought, while running he didn't realize that he had been targeted and struck by magic. He grit his teeth and glared up at the doctor.

"I need to talk to Cid," He said, the doctor shook his head, "You are in no shape to do anything just now, it'll have to wait."

"Dammit it's urgent!" Rygdea shouted but the shouting made the pain worse.

"You need to recover first, then you can talk to Cid," The doctor explained calmly before sedating Rygdea so he could begin healing him.

_Farron Residence_

Everyone was now ready for bed, Hope smiled at Lightning.

"Well, night." He said, she smiled and nodded, "Here's hoping I don't end up with a repeat of last time."

Hope nodded; she was referring to the sleep over at his place where she had woken up screaming from nightmares.

"You know, I could, sleep with you, just in case." He said hesitantly, Lightning smiled, "That's, not a bad idea, thanks."

So the group all lay down and drifted off to sleep, Lightning had to admit she felt a lot calmer with Hope sleeping with her, just within arms reach, she smiled and reached out, he seemed to feel her and clasped her hand with his, still smiling Lightning finally drifted off into a, for once, nightmare free sleep.

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><p>End of chapter, this is also the end of the Love and Bonding Arc, next up we move into the Action Arc where things pick up, more fights, secrets revealed and the long awaited confrotnation arrives. Hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	30. Secret's Unveiled

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 30 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, the Action Arc begins, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Miya: Thanks, yeah, I like those sweet moments, Yup there are and he does, Sazh's boss will be revealed by the end of the next chapter.**

**TheWarrior12: Well wait no longer, the Action Arc has begun, thanks glad you are enjoying it, I always do my best with my stories :)**

**The Light to all Fears: Thanks, yeah, Noel was there with a purpose, there might not be a chance as, due to circumstances, explained in this chapter Lightning spends the Action Arc in soldier mode.**

**resistance123: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, well the action's about to pick up :)**

**Jlbean: Well, there you go, he does, better make your predictions fast as Sazh's boss is revealed in the next chapter.**

**HarleyMarston-117: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, yes they will meet again, he was initially there on Caius' orders but over time really did become friends with the group.**

**Beloved Nightmare Union: Don't be, Noel was just really good at keeping the connection secret. Actually she's wearing a tankini which offers more coverage, so only the edge of the l'Cie mark would have been visible and the tankini is black, same coulour as the amrk it was was camouflaged. Actually they do, their fates are going to be different this time, just wait and see:)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 30: Secrets Unveiled<strong>

Friday 4 March 3 APW, Lightning was getting ready to go to school. Serah had spent the night at Snow's and they were going to go together, she would be driving by herself. She didn't mind because she knew that Hope would be waiting for her. As she got ready however her phone rang, she picked it up, it was Cid.

"Cid, what's going on?" She asked, confused, Cid's voice sounded urgent as he replied, "Lightning, I need to speak with you, it's important, sorry, but you're going to have to give school a miss today."

Lightning sighed, "Okay, I'm ready so…"

"Meet me outside," With that Cid hung up, Lightning also hung up and headed outside, sure enough the limo was there, she quickly climbed in and it drove off.

She looked over at Cid who was sitting tense in his usual seat.

"Cid, what's wrong?"

Cid sighed and then made a shocking revelation.

"On the 11th last month Rygdea was able to sneak into Dysley's headquarters. He was spotted and injured and only recovered two hours ago." Cid paused for a moment, "He saw the two shadowy figures that are leading PSICOM for Dysley, they stepped out of the shadow and he saw their real faces, but he can't believe what he saw."

"Which was?" Lightning asked, a strange feeling of dread overtaking her.

"They've been resurrected, Grand General Yaag Rosch and High Inquisitor Jihl Nabaat."

Lightning froze, unable to believe it.

Lightning stared in disbelief as the dark memories came again, not only was Yaag Rosch reborn, but so too was her hated enemy Jihl Nabaat. The woman who had been responsible for the brutal torture she had endured, worse still, she didn't order it but she condoned her men raping Lightning, each and every time, if Nabaat saw the horrific act she raised no objection. Her mind was racing, what was she going to do, how exactly was Dysley involved with those two, were they manipulating him the same way they had manipulated Primarch Malum? Something told her that Dysley wasn't being manipulated which made things even worse, who was he really if he was able to bring the dead back to life, especially after she had done to Jihl herself during the final battle.

"Stop the car!" She suddenly burst out, shocking Cid and the driver, "Lightning?"

"Stop the damn car."

Cid nodded and the driver stopped the car, Lightning suddenly opened the door and leapt out.

"Lightning, where are you going?" Cid called after her but she ignored him and ran.

She ran all the way back home, hurried up to her room and pulled the case containing her Blazefire Sabre out; she hurriedly flicked through the combination lock and opened it. She grabbed her weapon and its belt and strapped it on; she then hurried out of the house and took to the back alleys, knowing she wouldn't be found there.

She was still standing in the alleyway; she had pulled out her sword and was holding it in front of, one of the last things that belonged to her Father. When she had joined the Guardian Corps it had been her most treasured possession along with the other item she had taken with her, a Survival Knife that had been the last gift from her Father before he died, it was an indication that he wanted her to follow in his footsteps and become a soldier. Although she was certain he never thought she would join the way she did. She closed her eyes as she remembered that time.

_Seven year old Lightning stood, clutching her Father's sword and the Survival Knife. She had just requested to join the Guardian Corps but had been refused on account of her age; she glared at the man who was in charge of the recruiting._

"_PSICOM killed my parents," She burst out savagely with more anger than anyone expected from a seven year old girl, "I don't care what you say, I'm joining one way or another, I'm getting revenge for my parents, you're not gonna stop me!"  
><em>

_The man sighed and shook his head, "It's not as simple as that Miss, you're too young, I'm sorry but…"_

"_You've got spirit and great potential," Another voice spoke up; Lightning spun around and gazed in amazement at the warrior that stood before her._

Lightning blinked back the tears that welled up in her eyes, that had been the first time she had met Caius Ballad. Despite protests from the recruiter Caius immediately allowed her to join his squad, which she noticed consisted mainly of people from all different ages, at least a fifth of whom were around her age. Caius had explained to her that he only recruited those who were worthy to wield his gift and that, despite their age they were all the greatest soldiers in the Guardian Corps. He then proceeded to unlock her magic, branding her with his seal, just like the others, the tattoo she had. Throughout the years she fought with Caius and his 'Dragon Division' and spent most of her free time training with him, especially on training trips to Pulse. Over time, despite still burning for revenge she no longer felt alone, Caius became a Father figure to her and was always there to offer words of encouragement and kindness.

'_Then he left, after the war was over,' _She thought sadly, _'And I was broken, until I met Hope…I've gotta do this, so that at least, Hope won't have to suffer the same horror I did.'_

With her mind made up she found that she had automatically walked to her destination, the train station. She walked up to the ticket booth.

"Yes ma'am, how can I help?" The woman behind the counter said with a friendly smile, Lightning hesitated only briefly before replying, "One ticket, to Eden."

She paid and got her ticket and boarded the train, heading for Eden, where she knew right now Dysley, Nabaat and Rosch were lurking, plotting their next move.

The group stood at school, confused, Lightning was late, she normally would have arrived by now, they had tried calling her but she hadn't picked up her phone, Hope was frantic with worry. The NORA crew were already at class, since the last time they were late they had ended up getting detention and grounded by their parents. Just then Fang's phone rang, she checked it, the caller ID was Cid.

"Just a sec, I gotta take this," She said before walking away to answer. Unbeknownst to her Noel had indicated to the others that they should listen in, although Hope and Vanille were reluctant they agreed and they moved closer.

Fang sighed and answered her phone, "Cid, what's the big emergency?" Knowing that that would be the only reason Cid called her during school hours.

"Fang, Lightning has gone missing." Fang paused, "Missing?"

Cid sighed and then explained, "I told what Rygdea had found out about PSICOM, she headed home, grabbed her weapon and then just disappeared, I fear she's gone to attack them."

"On her own?"

"Yes," Cid replied, "You know what we have to do, you also know how to do it, I'm counting on you."

"Got it, don't worry." With that she hung up.

She sighed and turned around only to find the others all staring at her.

"Fang?" Vanille looked at her questioningly; Noel shook his head, "Think it's time everybody knew the truth now?"

Fang groaned and then finally made up her mind, "Okay, it is time you guys knew the whole story, time you knew about what's going on…But this isn't the place, sorry fellas but we're gonna miss school today."

The others indicated that they didn't care and so they all drove off, heading for Sazh's diner.

'_Forgive me Lightning,'_ Fang thought to herself, _'I've gotta tell them, everything.'_

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><p>End of chapter, next up Lightning's past and her role in the war is finally revealed. hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	31. Lightning's Past

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 31 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Shinku no shi: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, you're guess is correct, next chapter:) Yeah, I wanted to show how Lightning had to juggle al that, actually I'm afraid that can't happen, as will be explained in this cahpter, Lightning was the youngest person in Caius' squad.**

**Miyaaa: Cool. Thank, I'm glad you are enjoying it, Well, all shall be revealed about Lightning's past below, enjoy :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 31: Lightning's Past<strong>

The group finally arrived at the diner and walked in, Sazh looked up at them, surprised.

"Huh, ain't you guys supposed to be in school?" He asked, Fang however cut across him, "Sazh, I don't have time to explain, we need a private booth."

"Uh, sure," Just then his phone rang, "I gotta take this, Edna, could you show them to booth K please."

Edna nodded and led the group to booth K while Sazh headed out the back and answered his phone.

"Yeah boss, Fang just walked in," He said immediately, the boss' however caught him off guard, "Who's with her?"

"Huh, um, Vanille, Hope, Snow, Serah and Noel, why?"

"I just got a rather, interesting call, from Caius." The boss explained, Sazh's eyes widened at this, "The people you mentioned they are chosen one's like you, Fang is going to reveal the truth to them, when she does they'll likely head for Pulse, join them, let them use your airship."

Sazh sighed and nodded, "Alright, I got it…Cid."

Cid Raines merely gave an affirmative grunt before hanging up, Sazh hung and slipped back into the diner. He managed to get near the booth the group were sitting at in order to overhear them.

Fang sighed as she looked at the others, "Okay, where to start."

After a brief pause she began.

"Lightning was only seven when she joined the Guardian Corps, she was the youngest member of the squad, I was part of the same squad,"

Everyone gasped, Vanille stared at her fiancée in disbelief, "No way, you mean, you were…"

Fang nodded and then revealed more, "We were, in the Dragon Division."

That caught their attention; anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the war knew the name 'Dragon Division' even if only the Guardian Crops themselves knew what they were capable of.

"You mean," Hope began, his voice shaking, "You and Lightning, served under Caius Ballad?"

Fang nodded, "No way, the hero of Cocoon," Snow stuttered.

"That's right." Fang then smirked, "Of course, only half of what Caius is capable of has ever been revealed, he, and the members of his squad, can use magic. Yes, even Lightning and myself."

Fang paused to allow her words to sink in, as she did so she thought back to the past, about the long years spent in the war, everyone in the squad honing their skills under Caius' careful tutelage.

Finally she continued to explain.

"Caius would recruit anyone, so long as they had the potential for magic and were willing to get involved in combat; he would unlock their magic potential and train them. Of course, the unlocking process left it's mark, proof that you were one of Caius' chosen few, a mark like…a tattoo."

As she said this part she turned her right arm so that her tattoo was visible and finally Vanille understood its importance.

"Wait so, Light also has…" Hope began, Fang nodded and then clarified, "Yeah, although, hers isn't in an area she would generally display to the public."

Fang indicated the location with her hand and Hope blushed.

"Anyway, we trained for a long time, we fought in the war, the battles went either way. But it soon became clear that Lightning was Caius' favourite student, before long she was second in command of the squad, and I was just behind her in rank. It had an effect on Lightning too, having lost her parents, Caius became like a Father to her, he was the one person who she could tell absolutely anything."

Fang paused to ensure they were all keeping up and then took a deep breath, "Then the came the last days of the war, Lightning was fifteen."

As she told them the story her mind went back to that time.

_Fang sat on the arm of the sofa in the building they had made their headquarters for the final charge. The rest of the squad were grouped together, talking. Fang looked over at Lightning who was sitting alone in a corner of the room, toying with Survival Knife that never left her person. Before Fang could go over to Lightning the door opened and Caius walked in._

"_We have our mission," He stated and they all gathered around as he announced it, "We are to launch a sneak attack and devastate the PSICOM, our main target is Jihl Nabaat, assassinating her will deal a crippling blow to them."_

_They all prepared their weapons and began to move out._

Fang sighed as she finished telling them about their mission, she knew now she had to tell them the result.

The others were amazed at what they were hearing, Caius' activities during the war, and those of his squad were now clear, they were a unit of elite soldiers who could use magic and Lightning and Fang had been part of that squad.

"We went to carry out the mission," Fang continued to explain, "But it was a trap, they were expecting us, Yaag Rosch sent in his best troops and they ambushed us. In the end, our squad of one hundred was reduced to half, Caius went missing and Lightning…Lightning was captured by the enemy."

Hope and Serah both gasped at this, Serah then asked, "Lightning's scars?"

Fang closed her eyes and lowered her head sadly, "While being held captive by Jihl Nabaat, Lightning was brutally tortured, all because she refused to surrender and serve Nabaat."

Hope then remembered something Lightning had said, "While they were torturing her…was that, when she was raped?"

"Yeah, that's right, but, she obviously didn't tell you, she was actually raped multiple times by the soldiers, at least once she was gang-raped."

"How did she get away?" Vanille asked, Fang looked grim as she revealed, "As the highest ranking member of the squad still active at the time, I gathered the squad together and mounted a rescue operation, they weren't expecting it so soon after their ambush."

Once again Fang remembered that moment as she told it to the group.

_Fang led the remaining members of the Division through the hallway; she could hear screams and knew they were coming from Lightning. She could see Lightning's cell but it was heavily guarded, she signalled to her team members and they acted at once, casting spells and creating havoc, drawing the attention of the guards. Fang gripped her spear and charged in, she cut down two of them, launched a Fira spell at a third and then forced open the door to the cell, there was only one soldier inside and he was occupied, he was in the middle of raping Lightning, Fang charged up and thrust her spear through his back, killing him and throwing him aside._

"_Lightning!" She quickly checked her team-mate, Lightning's breathing was laboured, she was covered in injuries and bleeding, "Damn."_

_After freeing Lightning from the table she had been strapped too she rejoined the squad, which had also reclaimed Lightning's clothes and weaponry. They quickly fled back to their base camp._

Fang shook herself out of her thoughts and continued, "Once we escaped, we waited for Lightning to recover, the other branches of the Guardian Corps were still fighting."

Fang then prepared to tell them about what happened next, the turning of the tide and the victory of the Guardian Corps.

"After Lightning recovered, she was angrier than ever, she led us on an attack, going directly for PSICOM's control centre, the Primarch's Palace. Aided by the other branches, we broke through; I managed to disrupt their chain of command by killing Rosch, spear thrust through the chest. Lightning got revenge on Nabaat, beheading her. After that we were nearly overwhelmed, that was when Caius retuned, he saved us and, with me and Lighting, went in and forced Primarch Malum to abdicate."

The others stared in amazement at this, they now knew the whole story behind the end of the war and also why Lightning had been so withdrawn when they first met her, as well as the reason behind her nightmares and her self-consciousness with her scars.

"Malum abdicated, his corruption and the fact PSICOM used him, made him unsuitable for his role, so he was left in disgrace and Dysley ascended the throne." Fang explained, "After the war, Caius disappeared, he named Cid Raines his successor as Grand General of the Guardian Corps and then disappeared."

The others were confused by the relevance of this until Fang explained further, "It broke Lightning, her Father figure and mentor, disappearing and leaving her behind, she had got her revenge, but had nothing now, she just felt empty."

The others were quiet as they absorbed this information, finally, after a long silence, Noel asked, "What's this have to do with that phone call you just got?"

"Dysley's been acting suspicious for a long time," Fang explained, "He's resurrected PSICOM and somehow brought Rosch and Nabaat back from the dead. When Lightning found out, she couldn't just let it stand, she grabbed her Gunblade and then…She disappeared, it's likely she's going to Eden, to try and kill them."

"By herself," Hope gasped, "That's suicide."

"That's why we need to stop her…but to do that, we need Caius," Fang explained, "Right now, he's the only one she'll listen to."

"But I thought he disappeared," Noel stated, true he was in contact with Caius and the others probably knew that now but, his communication with Caius had been over the phone, the only time they had met was once, and that was before Caius disappeared.

"Yeah, but I know someone who can find him," Fang replied, "We need to go down to Pulse, and meet with Paddra Nsu-Yeul."

There was silence that followed this, finally Snow raised the obvious question, "Just one problem, how are we gonna get there?"

"We need an airship," Fang stated.

"I think I can help with that."

They looked up in shock and saw Sazh standing there, Fang glared at him.

"I thought I asked for this to be private."

Sazh shrugged, "Sorry, I'm just following Cid's orders."

"Orders?" Fang asked, everybody looked at Sazh, surprised, how did he know Cid?

They got their answer when he pulled out a badge and showed it to them, making a full introduction as he did so.

"Sazh Katzroy, Guardian Corps Special Investigations Unit."

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><p>End of chapter, Lightning's past has been revealed, and Sazh's true identity too. Next up the group seek out Caius for help. Hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	32. Caius

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 32 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Miyaa: Yeah, it certainly was, as for Sazh, no he really does work for the GC, glad you are enjoying it.**

**Lightarcana: It's fine, glad you are enjoying it, I know, poor Lighting, here's the next chapter :)**

**The Light to all Fears: You bet, thakns, glad you are enjoying it, not gonna spoil the ending however.**

**Harley-Marston-117: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yeah, all the secrets are coming out now, Yes they were and unlike Lightning Fang went to school the same year the war ended, that was when she fell in love with Vanille (which is the only reason she went)**

**seeker of the skies: Yup, you were :)**

**Beloved Nightmare Union: Thanks, yeah, it is, you bet they are, Noel is also gonna get his powers. Not quite but you're close.**

**Flock5: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 32: Caius<strong>

Fang stared at Sazh in disbelief as he made this announcement.

"No way, you're part of the Special Investigations Unit?" She asked, Sazh nodded, Snow looked at her confused.

"Wait, he's Guardian Corps, how could you not know?"

"The Special Investigations unit is top secret, even more so than the Dragon Division. The only people who know the identity of the members of the unit _are_ the members of the unit, and of course Cid."

The others finally understood with Fang's explanation and they quickly made preparations, thanks to Fang's quick thinking they were provided with weapons as they boarded Sazh airship. Fang had her spear; Sazh wielded a pair of pistols, Hope an Airwing boomerang, Vanille wielded a binding rod, Serah was given a bowsword called Starseeker, Noel had armed himself with a duel lance/sword, Snow preferred to fight with his fists and so was given a pair of gloves that would increase his raw strength. They boarded the ship and Sazh flew them down to Pulse where their last hope for helping Lightning, Paddra Nsu-Yeul, awaited. Hope looked over at Fang who was looking very serious for the first time since he had seen her.

"Do you really think this Yeul can help us?" He asked hesitantly.

"I know she can," Fang replied calmly, "She's a seeress, nothing is hidden from her."

That was good enough for Hope and so they finally reached Pulse and landed as close to the village of Paddra as they could get before disembarking.

They walked quickly and with purpose, Fang made the introductions to the Guardian's at the village gate and they were let in. She led them quickly to Yeul's tent and they stepped inside Yeul was sitting behind her low table, looking at them calmly.

"Welcome Fang," She greeted, "I see you have the others with you."

Fang shook her head, "Yeul please, I don't have time to speak riddles, I need you to tell me where Caius Ballad is?"

"I'm afraid I cannot do so." Yeul replied, shocking them all, Fang glared, "Why not?"

"Because I'm right here."

They all jumped and looked up, the large shadowy figure that had been talking to Yeul from behind the screen during Fang's last visit had stepped out from behind it, it was Caius. The others were amazed when the legendary hero stepped into their midst, Fang's face registered shock before she recovered enough to speak.

"So this is where you disappeared to." She remarked, Caius nodded, "Yes, but enough of the chatter, we need to get down to business."

Caius then turned to the others.

"All of you bear the potential, I know why you came, but it will take all of us to succeed. Now, stand still and I will unlock the magic within you."

They were startled by this but did as they were told. Caius muttered to himself briefly before raising his arm. Tendrils of energy shot out of his hand and struck them, within moments they felt an unusual surge of energy course through them as the same tattoo that was on Fang's upper arm appeared on them, each one appeared at a different location for each person. Sazh's appeared on his chest, Vanille's was on her left hip, Hope's appeared on his left wrist, Snow's appeared on his left forearm, Noel's appeared on his left shoulder and Serah's on her left upper arm. As they recovered from the sudden surge of energy, Yeul activated some of the crystals on the table in front of her.

"If you want to have a chance of success you'll need to obtain Eidolons." She explained, "Caius knows how to utilize the crystals, they will guide you to the Eidolons."

They were about to protest due to the fact they didn't know how to use magic but Yeul shook her head.

"There's no time," She explained, "Caius and Fang will explain to all of you on the way to get the Eidolons."

They knew it was pointless to argue and so they agreed and so, with Caius accompanying them they left Paddra and returned to the Archylte Steppe.

When they returned Caius activated one of the crystals and indicated they should follow it as it lit up and flew through the air. As they followed the light Caius and Fang explained about magic and how to use it, as they fought through the monsters that blocked their path they practiced and soon they had enough knowledge to use their magic effectively from a combat perspective. They soon arrived at an Eidolon shrine, on the way the Eidolons had also been explained so they knew what to do. This shrine had a frozen appearance and as they walked up they suddenly hit a barrier that blocked their passage. Only Snow had got past it, he looked around.

"What the?" He exclaimed, Caius sighed, "This is definitely your Eidolon, you know what to do, looks like you'll have to face it alone."

Snow sighed and walked towards the plinth, he looked up at the 'statue' of the Eidolon. The statue was of two female figures, the first one was dark skinned that was wearing some unusual blue white and gold armour with a large wheel at the back. The second one was pale and wore white and blue armour and held a large gold wheel in her hand. Remembering what he had been told Snow walked over and began to read the inscription.

"We are the Shiva Sisters, Stiria and Nix, We yield only to those rigorously defend themselves from attack. Challenge us and we will accept, you will be placed under a life stealing curse and have until the last of your life force is robbed by this curse to impress us. Do so and we shall yield, fail and you shall die."

On cue the Shiva Sisters came to life and floated down from the plinth they were resting on. They both glared at Snow and Stiria, the dark skinned one, raised her arm, a dark aura engulfed Snow, inflicting him with the Death Curse. Nix, the pale one, gripped her wheel weapon tightly and began to approach.

Snow thought quickly about the inscription and realized what he had to do, he concentrated his energy and prepared as Nix raised her weapon to strike. Snow immediately used his Mediguard ability to summon a barrier around himself. Nix's attacks were blunted by the shield but he still received injuries, Stiria however cast curative magic on him that healed his injuries. However he was still feeling weaker by the moment, due to the Death Curse.

'_Dammit, come on, gotta keep going.'_

Gritting his teeth and focusing he continued to use Mediguard to defend against Nix's attacks. The others watched apprehensively, except for Caius, he was analyzing the battle, he could see the willingness of the Eidolon to serve its Master, each second that passed with Snow staying on his feet, guarding against damage, Stiria and Nix grew more willing to yield. Nix attacked again, Snow continued to hold up his defensive barrier until finally they saw they weren't going to break him, they yielded and lifted the Death Curse before fusing their power with him. Finally the barrier disappeared and the others approached Snow, who had collapsed to his knees, breathless. Serah immediately rushed to his side.

"Snow!" Snow shook his head, "I'm alright, I'm okay." With that he managed to get up to his feet and straighten up.

"Good," Caius commented, "We cannot afford to stop; we must hurry to the next one."

The others agreed and headed back out, heading for the next Eidolon. Luckily the next shrine was only a few feet away; Caius looked at it cautiously before nodding.

"There's no barrier this time, more than one person can fight the next Eidolon, although, Snow will have to sit out, he's still recovering."

Snow wanted to protest but a wave of dizziness stopped him. Finally they arrived and saw the next Eidolon.

This time the Eidolon was tall and covered in red armour, there were several plate of gold white and brown too and the face which decidedly feminine, in her hand she wielded a large double bladed scythe like weapon and appeared to be generating fire from specific points. They approached the plinth and examined the inscription. Only Sazh was able to read it.

"You must take two allies to fight; the rest of us will wait by the entrance." Caius explained.

"I'll fight," Hope volunteered, surprising the others, Vanille then smiled, "Me too."

Sazh nodded and with those two he stepped up to face his Eidolon, reading from the inscription.

"I am Brynhildr, I yield to those who fight diligently and strengthen their allies. Challenge me and I will accept, you will be placed under a life stealing curse and have until the last of your life force is robbed by this curse to impress me. Do so and I shall yield, fail and you shall die."

With the last words Brynhildr came to life and leapt off the plinth, she glared at Sazh.

"Prove your worth to me," She said as she cast the Death Curse on him.

Sazh stumbled but regained his balance and, ignoring the weakness creeping into his system he began to attack. He fired his guns and cast several spells in quick succession, Brynhildr charged through, hardly seeming damaged, and began to attack, Hope quickly cast Protect and Shell on himself, Sazh and Vanille, in order to protect them from attacks, meanwhile Vanille cast several spells on Sazh, herself and Hope, including Haste to quicken their movements. Despite attacking relentlessly, Brynhildr was unable to break through the protective barriers and, with their strength enhanced by Vanille's magic Hope and Sazh combined their attacks to force the Eidolon back. Brynhildr seemed to sigh before bowing her head and Sazh felt the Death Curse being lifted.

"You have proven yourself worthy," She said, "I yield."

With that her power fused to Sazh and, as soon as he caught his breath they headed for the next Eidolon.

Caius sighed and then remarked, "There are four more out there, and I wouldn't grow complacent if I were you."

After a brief pause he explained, "Those two were the easiest to please, there are two more out there that are easy to please but, the other two are a bit more difficult."

The others nodded and focused, despite feeling tired. Following the light and Caius' lead they arrived at the next shrine. The Eidolon before them was an impressive sight, a large hulking figure in white and gold armour with large arms. Hope swallowed nervously, he could read the inscription, this was his Eidolon. Fang and Snow volunteered to fight alongside him and they got ready. Hope stepped forward and read out the same inscription as the others, this Eidolon was called Alexander and he yielded only to those who fought diligently, strengthened their allies and healed their comrades. Alexander came to life and stepped down off his plinth, he glared at Hope as if challenging him.

'_I'm not running,' _Hope told himself, _'I have to stand and fight, for Lightning's sake.'_

Seeing Hope's will to fight Alexander cast the Death Curse on him, amazingly he didn't even flinch. Alexander immediately approached, ready to attack with its powerful uppercut; Hope immediately cast Protect and Shell on himself and his allies. Alexander's attack rattled the protective barrier but didn't shatter it. The Eidolon growled and continued to attack, despite the barrier some damage still got through and injured them, Hope quickly cast curative magic to heal any injuries, meanwhile, Fang and Snow combined physical attacks with bursts of magic, attacking Alexander from the flanks. Alexander suddenly changed tactics and assumed a defensive stance, taking advantage of this Fang and Snow attacked while Hope began using his magic to strike, finally, when Hope felt like he was almost out of strength to keep going Alexander yielded and added his power to Hope. They didn't say anything this time and instead hurried to the next shrine, they didn't have a moment to lose, otherwise they knew they'd be too late to help Lightning.

Finally they arrived at the next shrine, the sun was beginning to set now, as they approached Caius commented on the Eidolon they were going to receive.

"If I recall right, this is the last of the tricky ones, the other two should be easier."

The others nodded and soon entered the shrine and saw the Eidolon. This time it was a black humanoid figure with several and red silver mechanical parts that formed wings and eight arms, it's head was pointed and a small silver spite rose from the top of it like a helmet. This time it was Vanille who could read the inscription, Fang and Serah, who insisted on fighting, joined her and she read the inscription. The Eidolon's name was Hecatoncheir and he only yielded to those who fought diligently, healed the wounded and weakened their enemies. Like the other Eidolons, Hecatoncheir sprang to life and inflicted the death curse. They readied themselves and, as Hecatoncheir took a defensive stance Serah began casting spells as Fang charged in with her spear. Hecatoncheir assumed a defensive stance and took the blows; Vanille however took advantage of the moment and began casting Deprotect, Deshell Imperil and other weakening spells. Hecatoncheir felt the effects of the weakening spells and the continued to blows, he roared in angry. He delivered a powerful hurricane kick before pummelling them, in response Vanille desperately started healing the others before joining in the attack with her spells. Eventually the constant satisfaction appealed to him and he yielded, there were only two more to go, they hurried towards the next shrine, desperate to claim the last Eidolons so they could go and save Lightning.

They reached the second last shrine, this time it was Serah's Eidolon, a large brown skinned monstrous creature with red fur and grey claws and horns, its fur closely resembled fire and with Snow and Noel at her side Serah prepared to face it. The Eidolon's name was Ifrit and he only yielded to those who fought diligently and strengthened their allies. Ifrit came to life and followed the usual pattern of the other Eidolons. Serah immediately began casting protect and Shell on her allies as well as enhancing their fighting capabilities. Snow and Noel attacked Ifrit and dodged his counterattacks, once she cast all the protective spells she knew Serah joined in with the attack, using both the sword and bow versions of her weapon. As Caius predicted Ifrit was easier to please and soon yielded to Serah. They finally headed for the last Eidolon, Noel's. They found it, a large serpent named Leviathan, Leviathan only yielded to those who fought diligently and defended and healed their comrades. Serah and Hope joined Noel as they fought Leviathan. Noel drew Leviathan's attacks using Mediguard and casting curative magic to heal himself and the others if they got caught in the backlash of the attacks. They also joined in the attacking, forcing the Eidolon into a corner and finally convincing it to yield. They breathed a sigh of relief as Noel recovered. Caius nodded.

"Good, you have done well; let us return to Cocoon, we must hurry to save Lightning."

The others immediately agreed, it was nightfall now, they had to hurry. Once they returned to the airship they returned to Cocoon.

_Eden_

Lightning sat hidden in one of Eden's back alleys. She could see her target, the Primarch's Palace.

'_It's almost time, first light of day, then I make my move,'_ She thought bitterly to herself, _'I'll make sure they die and don't come back this time.'_

With her preparations complete she gripped her sword and got ready to make her assault.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	33. Climatic Battle

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

****Chapter 33 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**ziel101: Just the first one that came to me.**

**jlbean: No she doesn't but in my story she gets an Eidolon and Ifrit was the first one that came to me. Yup, you guessed right, enjoy.**

**Beloved Nightmare Union: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yeah I know it seems like it but it was the best I could do without making the battles repetitive and boring. Not really, I just picked the first ones that came to me, although that's a great idea for Serah, definitely a good point.**

**Miyaaa: Thanks, yeah I was trying to not make things repetitive.**

****Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 33: Climatic Battle<strong>

Saturday 5 March 3 APW. The group arrived in Eden and abandoned their airship before slipping through the streets towards the Primarch's Palace.

"We will have to be cautious; PSICOM was planning a major operation today," Caius explained, "All their troops will be here, especially their best."

Once again surprising everyone, it was Hope who stepped forwards.

"We can't let that stop us, Light needs our help," He said, without a hint of fear in his voice, "Let's go."

"Right behind ya, kiddo," Fang replied with a smirk, the others nodded in agreement and they continued towards their destination.

When they arrived at the doors they were surprised to see that the guards at the door were dead. Snow was the one who voiced their surprised.

"What the hell?" Sazh shook his head, "Lightning's work?"

Caius nodded in confirmation, "She chose to attack on the day their attack was planned, she's disrupted their preparations. So a major invasion of Cocoon has been delayed, let's make sure Lightning can stop it indefinitely."

The others nodded, Vanille however looked worried, "But that means all their soldiers are inside and looking for her."

"Then we fight our way through them," Serah explained, her face tense, Noel nodded in agreement and the others all readied their weapons and they hurried inside.

_Lightning_

Lightning staggered back, blocking the savage strike from the Orion, a PSICOM bio-mechanical four legged tank, a second Orion also approached from the flank.

'_Great,' _She thought bitterly, _'I don't have time for this.'_

She launched two Blizzaga spells, one striking each Orion and freezing their circuits. They shorted out and collapsed. She shook her head and ran forwards, through the door and down the corridor. As she ran she saw a squad of PSICOM Dragoon's approaching her. She quickly changed her weapon to gun mode and opened fire on them. Her aim was perfect and they all fell dead from headshots. Their bodies hadn't even hit the ground before Lightning ran past them and reached the end of the corridor, finding it guarded by three PSICOM Raiders and a PSICOM Warlord. She immediately switched back to sword mode and leapt between two of the Raiders and spun around, holding her sword out, sending a wave of energy around her. Both men crumpled in pain but recovered. All four PSICOM troops could use their suits to cast an artificial form of magic that, while still powerful wasn't as powerful as Lightning's natural magic.

"Bring it on!" She yelled before cutting down the two Raiders' she had injured, before turning to the third and striking him with a Fira spell.

She turned to the Warlord in time to see him cast three spells at her, the first being a Fira spell, Lightning tired to dodge but the Fira spell singed her shoulder, throwing her off balance and taking a Blizzara spell straight to the chest, hitting the ground before being struck by Thundara.

"Argh, shit!" She rolled back and recovered her footing before launching a Ruinga spell.

The Warlord staggered back and Lightning used her advantage to launch him into the air before leaping up after him and attacked him, after the third strike she pushed back and fired a single shot. She landed and the Warlord hit the ground dead. She cast a Cura spell on herself before heading through to the next chamber, so close to Dysley.

_The Group_

As the group advanced through the Primarch's Palace they saw signs of Lightning's progress, dead PSICOM soldiers and destroyed experimental weapons. Just then a group of PSICOM Wardens and Enforcers appeared.

"Intruders, take them down quickly!" One of them yelled.

The Warders raised their guns but Hope threw his boomerang and knocked them out of their hands. Sazh opened fire on them as Serah cast several spells. Fang, Snow and Noel attacked the Enforcers with their weapons; Hope caught his boomerang and joined in the attack with his spells. As the last of the soldiers fell they heard a whirring sound. They looked around and then saw a machine that Fang commented was called a Falco Velocycle, fast approaching them. Caius immediately charged it and, using his large broadsword to cut the machine completely in two.

"Let us hurry; we cannot afford to be delayed any further." He said, they others nodded and they proceeded to follow the carnage Lightning had left in her wake.

As they ran down one of the corridors they saw another group of PSICOM soldiers, this time they were accompanied by a large red skinned creature with a large scaly shell.

"A Thermadon," Fang gasped, Caius darted forwards.

He swung his sword in a wide arc, launching a large wave of purple energy that ripped through all the enemies. The soldiers were killed outright. The Thermadon however only lost its shell. Taking advantage of this the others charged and attacked, killing it. They continued to head onwards, getting closer to Lightning with every step.

_Lightning_

Lightning stepped into the last room before the corridor that led to Dysley's.

"Well, well, Lightning Farron, how nice to see you again." A familiar voice spoke.

Lightning gripped her Blazefire Sabre tightly as Jihl Nabaat stepped out from the shadows and blocked her path, wielding her officer's baton.

"Nabaat," Lightning spat darkly as another figure stepped out and blocked her path, "Rosch."

Yaag Rosch drew his sabre and smirked, "You were foolish to come here alone Farron."

Lightning shook her head, "I'm not letting anyone else get hurt, because of me."

Yaag rolled his eyes and was about to respond but he noticed Jihl's rage, he didn't have to ask however as Jihl revealed the reason for her anger.

"You, you destroyed my latest experiments!" Lightning smirked and nodded, "Yeah, very smart, using my DNA to try and give your soldiers natural magic, too bad I killed them before they could be activated."

With their edge destroyed they both knew that PSICOM was now damaged and their plan had been severely delayed. Immediately both officers charged to attack Lightning with ferocity, she braced herself for the fight.

_The Group_

The group soon arrived at a hallway where they spotted the dead body of a PSICOM Warlord at the end. They began to hurry down the corridor but suddenly they stopped. The open end of the corridor was blocked by three large flying creatures. One was purple and grey in colour, the second was red and grey and the third black with white tips on its wings.

"Guys heads up," Fang warned, "These are some of PSICOM's best, the purple one is a Garuda Interceptor, the red is called Ushumgal Subjugator and the black is the Kalavinka Striker."

"What are they?" Vanille asked, Caius answered, "Living weapons, I can kill them all with one attack, but it will take time, split into teams and distract them, I will tell you when I am ready."

Caius gripped his sword and began charging. The others decided on how to attack, Hope would stand as the last line of defense, casting protective spells on the others, the remaining groups of two would attack one monster each, Sazh and Noel took on the Garuda Interceptor, Fang and Vanille fought the Ushumgal Subjugator and Snow and Serah fought the Kalavinka Striker. The monsters roared and the Garuda attacked first, Sazh launched a continuous hail of bullets at it allowing Noel to charge in, leap up and drive both his blades into its skull. Noel leapt off as the beast shrieked. Fang and Vanille had been attacking the Ushumgal Subjugator, Fang with her spear, Vanille with spells, Fang leapt back as the shrieking Garuda veered into the Subjugator. Both beasts crashed into the Striker that was under fire from Serah's spells. All three crashed to the ground and Snow delivered a powerful punch to the Striker's head. The three beasts recovered and reared up, shrieking with rage, Hope saw this and immediately launched a flurry of spells at the three monsters until they shrieked and flailed wildly.

"Now move, hurry!" Caius yelled, the others moved out of the way and Caius drove his sword into the ground, sending a large purple flame energy wave towards all three monsters, energy wave explored and incinerated the three monsters leaving nothing but charred remains behind.

"Let's go, we have to be nearly there," He explained.

They hurried forwards, desperate to find Lightning.

_Lightning_

Lightning staggered back and sank to her knees, she was cut, bleeding and out of breath. Nabaat had stepped back to guard the door as Rosch approached her and raised his weapon for a killing strike.

"Pathetic," He commented dryly, "You never stood a chance."

With that he went to strike but at the last second his sabre was struck with a boomerang, sending him off balance. He quickly leapt back and hurried up next to Nabaat. Lightning looked over her shoulder as the owner of the boomerang caught it.

"Hope?"

Hope hurried over to her along with Serah. Fang, Sazh, Snow, Noel and Vanille all hurried forwards and stopped in front of her, weapons raised, Snow smirked.

"If you want Light, you're gonna have to go through us."

Hope began casting curative magic on her as she shook her head, "Why?"

"Because we're not gonna leave you, you don't have to do this alone," Serah answered before standing up and hurrying over to join the others. She turned to Hope who smiled.

"We're all here for you Light, we'll do this together."

Rosch glowered and growled, "Seems she has reinforcements." Nabaat however had a serene smile on her face, "Then let's call ours."

With that she snapped her fingers and a crowd of PSICOM soldiers appeared and blocked the path, pointing their guns at the group.

The group didn't hesitate and charged in, casting spells and attacking with their weapons. Hope then explained, "We went down to Pulse and got our magic and Eidolons."

Lightning was surprised but still smiled, "I'm proud of you, you've come so far."

Hope smiled back and kissed her before leaping up, readying his boomerang and charged in to join the fight. Lightning stood up and then turned to her right and her eyes widened.

"Caius?" Caius smiled at her and nodded, "Shall we get to work Sergeant Farron," he remarked with a playful smirk. Lightning returned the smirk "Let's go then."

They both readied their weapons and charged forwards to join the battle. With their combined efforts they easily cut down the PSICOM forces. Jihl and Yaag glared and prepared to try and attack but Lightning and Fang acted quickly and, replicating their actions from the final battle of the war Lightning beheaded Jihl while Fang drove her spear through Yaag's chest. They both fell dead. Just then the sound of footsteps reached their ears.

"More PSICOM troops," Caius said, "There's no time, I will hold them back, the rest of you, go on ahead, stop Dysley."

Lightning nodded, "Be careful," Caius stepped forwards and waited for the PSICOM troops as Lightning led the others through the door at the end and into the corridor that would lead them to Dysley.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	34. Truth Revealed

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 34 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, just a short one this time, but enjoy anyway.

**Reviews**

**Miyaaa: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, it has actually been revealed, Dysley resurrected them.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 34: Truth Revealed<strong>

With Caius holding back the PSICOM hordes, Lightning stepped forwards.

"Let's go guys, Dysley's waiting just ahead, it's time to take him down and end this nightmare for good."

The others nodded and they walked down the corridor, weapons held out at the ready. They reached the door and suddenly it opened by itself, they nervously walked in and saw Dysley sitting at his throne waiting for them.

"So, you have arrived," He remarked calmly, brushing a speck of dust off his staff.

"I knew you were trouble Dysley," Lightning snapped, "But I never thought you'd bring PSICOM back, after all the trouble they caused."

Dysley shrugged casually, "It suited my means to do so, I have an important goal to accomplish, that is all."

Lightning was unnerved by this, Dysley was facing eight people, all capable of using magic and even Eidolons yet he was not the least bit concerned. Deciding to try and buy time and figure out what made him so confident Lightning then asked.

"What do you mean, what goal?"

Dysley gave a low chuckle and then spread his arms and began to speak.

"Pulse and Cocoon were once one, no barriers, no borders, we lived in harmony. But now the divide is too great and so I seek to restore that unity through the only means necessary."

"By starting another war?" Lightning snapped, Dysley shook his head, "With the power I hold, it wouldn't be a war, as my victory would be assured."

Dysley smirked and then raised his staff and used it to point to a large gold coloured wheel like device situated above his throne.

"Behold, Orphan, the source of all power." He then began to explain, "Orphan sleeps just now, but, when my plan comes to fruition, it will awaken and I will meld with it to become the ultimate being and I shall dissolve all barriers and create a utopia for my kind."

That caught their attention and confused them.

"What's that mean?" Snow asked, "You mean you aren't human?"

"Of course not, I'm so much more," Dysley replied.

Lightning shook her head, "I don't care what you are, or the fact you can use magic, you're against eight of us, you can't possibly win."

"My dear, my magic is far superior to all of you combined," Dysley explained, standing up and walking down the small steps so he was on the same level as the group that faced him.

"With my success, the old Gods, my kind, shall return and reclaim their proper place as Masters of the Universe."

"Old Gods, you can't be serious," Lightning scoffed, "You expect us to believe you're a Fal'Cie."

Dysley's smile never left his face, "Oh child, that's exactly what I am?"

Apart from Fang, who was familiar with the situation and Hope, who actually paid attention in history, the others looked confused. Dysley then began to explain.

"The Fal'Cie are the ancient Old Gods who once ruled the united lands of Pulse and Cocoon. However arguments sprung up, between them over their governments of their lands. Finally the Fal'Cie Eden, for which this great city is named, came up with an idea. Since we could not agree, we would divide Cocoon and Pulse into separate lands and continue our own methods without interfering with the other."

"The great divide?" Lightning asked, remembering Caius talking about it.

"Yes and the Fal'Cie which volunteered to be the control that held that divide was Orphan, but I intend to establish total control and so I must merge with Orphan and gain his power." Dysley continued, "It couldn't be more fitting, the Fal'Cie died out because of their argument and division, it led to their, loss of faith in each other and they drained their lives in creating humanity."

"So they're all dead, yet you claim to be one of them." Lightning challenged.

"Yes, after all, Orphan is my Father."

The others were stunned at this, Lightning shook her head, "That's ridiculous."

"Let me show you," Dysley announced, "Behold!"

Dysley was suddenly engulfed in a burst of white light. When it cleared Dysley was no longer there, in his place was a large creature. It was a large monster with thick black armour with several gold plates and an unusually designed faceplate in the same colours; there were four devices, two on either side of the head which seemed to be holding the armour together. It had two large clawed hands which it used to move and extended shoulder plates which resembled wings. They all stared in shock, horrified at the raw power emanating from the monster before them. They finally believed, for only a Fal'Cie could have so much power.

"I am Barthandelus," He announced in an echoing voice, "Last of the Fal'Cie."

He cast a spell which sealed all exits, they were now trapped, they had no choice but to fight.

"Face your demise!"

Lightning shook her head, "No, it's your demise that'll be happening today."

She turned to the others.

"This is it guys, we're not gonna back down, Fal'Cie or not, we're taking him down and ending this oppression once and for all!"

The others nodded and prepared for battle. They all called out their crystals and prepared to summon their Eidolons.

Snow started off, "Shiva!" He called the Shiva Sisters forth as Sazh shot at his crystal, "I summon, Brynhildr!"

Both Eidolons appeared and the others continue to summon.

"Ifrit!"

"Leviathan!"

"Hecatoncheir!"

"Bahamut!"

Hope took a calming breath and, with a nod of encouragement from Lightning he summoned his Eidolon.

"Alexander, need you help big guy!"

Finally Lightning called forth her Eidolon.

"Odin...Cut us a path!"

With that the fighters and their Eidolons prepared to clash with Barthandelus.

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><p>End of chapter, it was a nightmare trying to describe Barthandelus, I hope I did it good enough, anyway hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	35. Final Battle

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

****Chapter 35 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, the big battle against Barthandelus, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**jlbean: Yeah, it's not gonna be easy, thanks, glad you are enjoying it :)**

**TheWarrior12: Well the wait is over, hope you enjoy it, thanks, I did my best.**

**Miyaaa: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, here we go, the big fight :)**

**Beloved Nightmare Union: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, those parts were left out deliberately because of how I intend to use and reveal them in this chapter, we actually are, I'm pretty sure Omega will, not sure about Jihl.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 35: Final Battle<strong>

The group and their Eidolons charged immediately but Barthandelus raised an Enchanted Veil to protect himself and then spoke.

"Mystic Aura, awaken!" The Mystic Aura flowed from his head and into the devices on either side of his head.

Suddenly they slid back and they realized there were white female head shaped adornments within the devices. Finally Barthandelus sent energy waves into the adornments, a form of Magic Amplification. They skidded to a stop, having to block and dodge as the four adornments began casting spells repeatedly, one after the other, of varying strength. The two on the right casting fire and thunder spells, the two on the left casting water and blizzard spells. To add to the difficulty Barthandelus himself was casting Ruinga spells at them, soon they were burned, shocked, soaked, cut with ice shards and blasted off their feet several times, it was all they could do to heal themselves. Luckily the Eidolon's were able to shrug the spells off and were able to dart in close and attack. The Enchanted Veil meant Barthandelus was impervious to harm, but his adornments were vulnerable and the Eidolon's focused on them, damaging them.

"Guys, that's it," Hope pointed out, having analyzed the battle as best as he could, "We need to take those things out, their giving him more power."

"Great, the question is, how," Sazh replied, Lightning however had the answer, "Long range attacks, get ready.

The others nodded and Vanille charged up a spell. Hope prepared to cast magic too but also readied his boomerang. Lightning switched to gun mode and Sazh readied his pistols. Serah joined them, using her weapons bow function and they prepared to aid their Eidolons.

Suddenly Barthandelus' face plate opened up.

"Face my wrath!" He bellowed as he launched a wave of energy from behind the face plate which blasted the Eidolons, knocking them backwards. Immediately Lightning and her friends attacked viciously with their long range attacks. With the adornments damaged the Eidolons recovered and Odin charged forwards and used his swords on the two left adornments while Brynhildr went for one of the right ones, the other was attacked by Bahamut. The damage being too great the adornments were destroyed and the Enchanted Veil disappeared as the group recovered, healed and regrouped in the centre of the rooms with their healed Eidolons.

"Accursed fools; you will face my wrath for impeding my plans!" He bellowed, "Face a Baptism in Ruin."

With that countless ruin spells were launched at them, they dodged as many as they could but they were struck several times and hit the ground injured. Barthandelus began to charge his ultimate attack, Destrudo. In response the Eidolons acted to defend their masters. With Odin in the lead they charged and all delivered power devastating blows to Barthandelus that cut deep into his armour. Vanille and Hope healed themselves and the party and once again regrouped as Barthandelus writhed in agony.

Barthandelus roared in pain and suddenly broke into laughter.

"Fools, you think this is over, I have only just begun," He announced darkly before calling out, "Menrva!"

In response a light grey owl like mechanical rukh flew down to him.

"We can no longer be separate; I need to awaken my greater powers."

The rukh flew down and landed on his head, both were engulfed in white light and when it cleared Barthandelus had transformed. He had grown to a slightly larger size and was now white in colour with gold plates, a new white and gold face plate and several unusual markings on his body; he also possessed tear shaped groves along his shoulder joints, his claws, although white, remained from his first form however and the feeling of raw power from his was greater than ever.

"Now, this is where you die!" He bellowed as the battle continued.

He began attacking with several laser blasts. They dodged the attacks and, in conjunction with their Eidolons they leapt in and attacked him, he roared and glowed before suddenly attacking with several debilitating spells firing more lasers. Despite their continued attacks, Barthandelus continued to attack with more dangerous laser blasts and more debilitating spells but they kept on their toes and dodged. The Eidolons were able to block or shrug off the blows before attacking. Suddenly he sent out energy waves and the group felt the strengthening spells they had cast on themselves weakening before fading completely. His face plate opened again and he launched a large, devastatingly powerful beam attack, stronger than the last one. The blast struck the party head on and sent them flying across the room where they landed hard, heavily injured. The Eidolons were blasted back sunk to their knees.

Barthandelus laughed at his apparent victory.

"How pathetic, so much for your great powers," He gloated, "Even with the Eidolon's you cannot stop me, how foolish, now your corpses shall be the first in the Great Cleansing brought on by Orphan's great judgement."

"Don't count us out yet."

Barthandelus froze, the one who spoke out wasn't Lightning as he had expected, it was the one he least expected, Hope. The boy struggled to his feet and, breathing heavily, glared at Barthandelus.

"How, this is impossible, you are trying my patience boy, why don't you just roll over and die?"

Hope shook his head, "Because, no matter how great your power, you can never defeat us, we all fight together, we're friends," He smiled at Lightning who had lifted her head to stare at him in amazement, "More than that, we are bound together, and unlike you...We have something worth fighting for!"

Encouraged by Hope's words the others got to their feet, Hope cast the strongest curative magic he could, Vanille backed him up and the group was healthy again. They also healed their Eidolons and stepped forwards, Barthandelus growled.

"Something worth fighting for, what foolishness," He spat, "What could be more important than my unlimited power."

Lightning smirked, "I'll tell you, we don't just fight for each other, but for everyone, on Cocoon, on Pulse, all the innocent that you plan to persecute. We fight to protect them, no matter what the cost!"

With that they leapt into action as the Eidolons took on their Gestalt Forms. Hecatoncheir took on the form of a large bipedal tank like machine with large Gatling guns. Ifrit assumed a quadruped stance, flames came from his horns and he developed flamethrower like protrusions from his shoulders. Leviathan developed scaly wings with several spikes protruding from his body. Brynhildr assumed the shape of a sports car; the Shiva Sisters took the form of a motorbike. Bahamut grew large wings and took to the air. Alexander became a weapon laden fortress and Odin took on a horse like form, the group all mounted their Eidolons and, Lightning, wielding Odin's swords called out.

"Ready!"

They prepared to launch a final assault as Barthandelus took on his third ultimate form.

Barthandelus' final form was still white and gold but his armour looked thicker, he once again had a new face plate but his shoulder plates had become four tiered wing like protrusions, several symbols covered his body and his power was at its peak. He immediately attacked with the laser blasts but the group charged and continued to attack, using their Eidolon's abilities to damage and dent his armour. He roared in anger after almost ten minutes of this.

"Take this, Ultima!" He bellowed launching the most powerful attack spell.

"Brace yourself guys," Fang called out, but Hope got an idea, "Guys, get behind Alexander."

They did so and Hope took cover behind Alexander's head. Being a fortress Alexander took the Ultima blast without even flinching and the group renewed their attack. Finally they decided to finish it, using their strongest attacks. Ifrit's Hellfire, Levianthan's Tidal Wave, Hecatoncheir's Gaian Salvo, Alexander's Divine Judgement, Bahamut's Mega Flare, Brynhildr's Muspell Flame, The Shiva Sister's Diamond Dust and finally, Odin's Zantetsuken.

"The storm is here!" Lighting yelled as the combined force of the attacks pummelled Barthandelus.

Barthandelus was heavily damaged; his armour was cracked, broken and fragmented in places. He gave a loud roar and then opened his face plate.

"Fools, I will crush you now." He bellowed.

He launched the most devastating and powerful beam attack yet. The group were knocked off their Eidolons who were forced back to their normal forms. Barthandelus began to rise up into the air.

"Now, watch as Orphan and I become one and obliterate all you worthless fools at once"!

He continued to rise as the Eidolons all tried to attack but they were heavily injured and began to disappear, until only Odin was left. The others launched spells and used long range weaponry but all they did was knock some armour off. Barthandelus was now level with Orphan and they connected and began to glow as the power surged through them both.

"Now, the Great Cleansing shall begin!"

Lightning however noticed that, the armour that had been knocked off had revealed Barthandelus' core. She just had to hit it, suddenly she got an idea, she looked over at Odin and nodded, Odin stood up, Lightning quickly stood up and readied her weapon and then nodded at Odin.

"Do it!"

Odin grabbed Lightning's hand and swung around before throwing her up into the air towards Barthandelus, mere seconds before he too faded away. Lightning flew through the air and soon raised her blade. Before Barthandelus could gloat again, Lightning struck out and drove her Blazefire Sabre through the core with devastating finality.

She pulled her blade out and fell back, landing on her feet, staggering slightly before recovering. Barthandelus was roaring in agony and as they watched he and Orphan exploded in a blast of light which, after fading reduced to nothingness, obliterating the last of the Fal'Cie. The group all doubled over to catch their breath, just then the doors opened.

"Excellent, well done, PSICOM is finished," It was Caius, "Without Barthandelus' magic to sustain them they all perished."

They all breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the battle was finally over. Lightning walked over to Caius, she stopped in front of him.

"You're leaving again, aren't you?" She asked sadly.

Caius gave a sad smile, "You know where I am this time, I'm returning to Pulse. I'm better off there; I'm just a relic of a war people would rather forget."

Lightning nodded sadly, Caius smiled, "You don't need me anymore Lightning, you have them." He indicated the group that was watching them.

"Most importantly, you have Hope," He added, Lightning looked over her shoulder at him and smiled before turning back to Caius, "Yeah; I guess you're right, just...answer your phone this time."

Caius laughed; Lightning smiled but then was hit with a wave of dizziness and exhaustion, brought on by her constant exertions in the fight. The dizziness got too strong and she fell forwards, the last things she remembered was Hope calling her name, panicked and Caius catching her before she blacked out.

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><p>End of chapter, We have reached the end of the Action Arc, next up we move on to the final arc, the Peace Returning Arc, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	36. Recovery

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

****Chapter 36 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, the Peace Returning Arc begins, not a long chapter but will reveal the aftermath of the Barthandelus battle, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Lightarcana: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yeah, it's always sad when you get to the end of a story.**

**Miyaaa: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yeah, I figured it would be perfect if Hope was the one to say that.**

**TheWarrior12: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, well, here we go, the beginning of the end.**

**Beloved Nightmare Union: Thanks, yeah, we are, it's sad but also relieving, I enjoyed doing the story but I know I'm going to bring it to a good conclusion. Really, wow, I'll look out for that then.**

****Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 36: Recovery<strong>

Lightning groaned as she opened her eyes. She was in a hospital bed, she was confused at first but then remembered, the battle against Barthandelus, his destruction and her collapse afterwards. She then saw Hope; he was sitting in a chair next to the bed, asleep. It looked like he had passed out having stayed awake so long, there were dark shadows under his eyes and his hair was messier than usual. Lightning sighed as she realized he hadn't left her side the whole time.

"Hope." She said tentatively.

Hope jolted awake and stared in amazement, "Light, you're awake?"

"Yeah," Lightning replied, confused, "Why do you sound so surprised, how long was I out?"

Hope sighed and answered, "Two days."

Two days, that meant it was now Monday 7 March 3 APW. Hope then continued.

"The doctors didn't think you wake up until Thursday however, that's why I was surprised."

Lightning shook her head and laughed, "Well I'm awake now."

"Yeah," Hope also laughed, "I've gotta let the doctor know, I'll get the others too, they're waiting outside."

Lightning nodded and Hope left the room, he came back with the others, Serah, Snow, Fang, Vanille, Sazh, Edna, Dajh, Nora Estheim, Noel and even Caius.

Lightning smiled at them as they sat down.

"Hey guys," She greeted happily, still feeling a little light-headed. The others returned greetings and sat down.

Fang smirked, "So, you're probably wondering what you missed." Lightning nodded.

Hope smiled and began to explain.

"Well, Cid's become the 76th Primarch of Cocoon. He's spinning the story that Dysley was like Malum, corrupt." Hope paused and then added, "He's managed to cover up our involvement, he's told people that Dysley committed suicide rather than face up to his crimes."

"How's he proving Dysley was corrupt?" Lightning asked, amused at the cover story.

Hope smirked and then explained, "He's exposed the PSICOM labs, the experiments that Dysley was allowing to happen."

Lightning nodded, understanding, she then looked over at Caius.

"I thought you said you were leaving?" She remarked, confused, Caius nodded, "I wasn't going to leave without saying goodbye, like I said, I'm returning to Pulse."

Lightning nodded, "Alright, I understand, thanks...For everything."

Caius nodded, Noel then announced, "I'm gonna go back too, I lived down there with Caius and Yeul."

The others nodded, but were obviously saddened, Noel smiled, "Relax guys, I'll stay in touch."

The others also smiled, especially Fang who could see that the real reason Noel was going back to Paddra was obviously Yeul herself.

Finally after talking some more about how Cid covered up the attack on Eden and the disappearance of Dysley's body, the doctor walked in.

"I appreciate you are all catching up but I need to ensure Miss Farron has sufficiently recovered, if you would like to wait outside." He said, the others agreed, Hope somewhat reluctantly.

From then Lightning's recovery continued, Caius and Noel left and returned to Pulse, finally, five days later Lightning was allowed out of the hospital.

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	37. Happy Announcement

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 37 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Miyaaa: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, yeah she was. Don't worry, you'll see how the teachers reacted in this chapter.**

**HarleyMarston-117: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, glad you enjoyed the battle, yeah, Caius waited to say goodbye this time, which was good of course.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 37: Happy Announcement<strong>

Saturday 12 March 3 APW. Lightning was finally out of the hospital, as she walked out she saw Hope sitting waiting for her in his car. She smiled and climbed in, they kissed and when they parted Hope nodded.

"We're going to the diner, the others are all waiting," He explained, she nodded and Hope drove off, heading for the diner.

As they drove Lightning thought for a moment and then asked, "Did anything else happen while I was in hospital."

"There's things I can't say, not my place," Hope replied, "Caius and Noel left on Wednesday, from what I heard Noel and Yeul are now together."

Lightning smiled at that and Hope continued.

"Anyway, you have, missed a few things, but, the others will clear that up. The good news is Cid has made it seem like we were the ones who brought Dysley's corruption to the surface."

Lightning nodded, "So he's still spinning the story that Dysley killed himself, good."

Hope nodded, "Yeah, anyway, for such a...service to Cocoon, there's gonna be some sorta award ceremony on Tuesday."

Lightning rolled her eyes, "Great, just what we need, publicity."

"What are you gonna do?"

Lightning pondered and then made up her mind, "I'm going to accept, go along but...after the award ceremony, I'm gonna resign from the Guardian Crops, officially."

Hope has parked outside the diner by now and was staring at her in surprise, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I've been Lightning for too long, it's time I was Claire Farron again."

"I think I could get used to that," Hope replied, Lightning nodded, "But until I do, I'm still Lightning okay, don't tell the others...yet."

Hope nodded and they got out of the car and headed into the diner.

They walked in and Sazh smiled.

"Hey guys, the others are waiting at the usual table," They thanked him and joined the others at their table.

"Light, how are you, you okay?" Serah asked, obviously still worried, Lightning smiled, "I'm fine Serah, don't worry."

Serah breathed a sigh of relief and the group all sat back.

"So," Lightning asked with a smile, "What did I miss?"

"Well you know we're all gonna be at that award ceremony," Snow explained, "Well apparently Cid's got some important news, no idea what yet though."

Lightning nodded and then finally Fang spoke up.

"Yeah, I'm afraid you missed something important," Lightning looked at her confused until Vanille clarified, "Fang and I are married now."

"Oh God, I'm sorry you guys," Lightning realized, Fang and Vanille's wedding. Fang shrugged, "Don't worry about it; you were out for the count anyway."

Lightning nodded, still unable to believe she had missed such an important day. She thought for a moment and then realized something.

"Hey, you guys skipped school on Monday, how'd you get away with that?"

They all looked away embarrassed and Hope finally replied, "The Principal let us off easy, due to certain circumstances."

Lightning laughed and nodded, the Principal knew why they had skipped that day and was willing to let them get away with it.

Before long the group began talking about the next big event they were looking forward to, Serah and Snow's wedding.

"Okay, so we figured we'd have the wedding in July," Serah explained to the others, "We're working out the last minute details of course, Gadot's gonna be best man, Light?"

"Maid of Honour," Lightning replied, Serah nodded as did Lightning, "Of course."

Serah smiled and they continued talking, finally Snow pointed out the one problem they were having.

"Okay, guys, here's the deal; we've got everything sorted out except…we don't have a priest to do the ceremony."

The others pondered this, finally Fang came up with an answer, "Well, in addition to running a diner and being part of the Special investigations unit, I'm pretty sure Sazh is a licensed priest too."

The others stared at her incredulously and Hope shook his head, "Is there anything that guy doesn't do?"

Fang shrugged. Eventually they asked and Sazh accepted, so the plans were complete, first they would attend the award ceremony on Tuesday and then they would make all preparations for Snow and Serah's wedding. As they sat enjoying their food, occasionally making small talk, Lightning smiled.

'_After all this, everything's changed,'_ She thought to herself, _'Things are…getting better, maybe…I can finally be happy, after all.'_

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><p>End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	38. Decisions

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 38 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**The Light to all Fears: That's cool, glad you enjoyed them, two more chapters to go (not counting this one)**

**Lightarcana: Yup they certainly are, yeah, just something I thought would be good :)**

**Beloved Nightmare Union: Thanks, yeah, she did, she's gonna get even more happiness next chapter though, as well as the final one. Um, Seriously rank up the Crystarium and get the best weapons you possibly can, try to make sure the majority of your Padragims has a medic role and try a sentinel too, best advice I can give, not even that far yet.**

**HarleyMarston-117: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, can't have everything, no wirres however, like you said Snow and Serah's is coming up.**

**anon: Yeah well, the date was set, everything was already prepared, yeah, she's gonan get even more happiness in the next chapter and in the final one. Just thought it'd be cool to see Sazh like that, yeah the Principal is understanding.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 38: Decisions<strong>

Tuesday 15 March 3 APW, It was on this day that Cid Raines was due to make his first official announcement as the 76th Primarch of Cocoon. Schools had been cancelled and everybody had gathered before the Primarch's Palace in Eden, those that couldn't attend watched the announcement unfold on TV. The podium and stage was set up, several important Guardian Crops members sat on chairs on the stage, the central podium was vacant and waiting for Cid. Sitting just to the right of the podium was Amodar, Sazh sat on the left. The people were all whispering, the reporters were waiting impatiently. Lightning was sitting at the front of the crowd along with the others, Hope, Snow, Serah, Fang and Vanille. They were all dressed their best, Lightning was in her Guardian Crops uniform. She smiled.

'_Can't believe this still fits.'_ She thought with a wry smile.

Hope smiled at her and took her hand, she smiled back at him and, after a brief kiss they faced the stage as Cid emerged from the Primarch's Palace and walked across the stage and up to the podium, ready to make his first speech to Cocoon.

Cid cleared his throat and began his speech.

"The past few days have been tumultuous but finally peace and calm has returned to Cocoon."

He paused for effect and then continued.

"First, with my ascension to Primarch I must appoint a successor to my previous position of Grand General of the Guardian Crops. My choice has been made and Lieutenant Amodar has been promoted to Grand General of the Guardian Corps."

There was applause as Amodar stood up, bowed and accepted his new position. Amodar took his seat and Cid raised his hand for silence before continuing his speech.

"As you know former Primarch Galenth Dysley was plotting treason against his own people, his corruption and resurrection of PSICOM was exposed thanks to the brave efforts of several civilians and three members of the Guardian Corps."

There was murmuring at this as Cid explained.

"These brave people made a dangerous effort to bring the truth to the people and prevent another war, sadly Dysley committed suicide before he could be brought to justice but the heroism of those involved must never be forgotten and rewards for heroism must be given."

An officer stepped forwards and held out several Cocoon Medals of Valour as Cid announced the recipients of them.

"Fang Yun, Vanille Dia, Snow Villiers, Serah Farron, Sazh Katzroy, Hope Estheim and Lightning Farron."

Sazh stood up as the others walked up onto the stage.

They all walked up on stage and, amidst thunderous applause one by one accepted their medal of valour as Cid congratulated them and asked them to remain on stage, they agreed however Lightning stepped up to him.

"Cid, I have something important to talk to you about."

Cid nodded and she continued, "I want to resign from the Guardian Corps, officially."

Cid didn't seem surprised, instead he simply asked, "Are you sure?" Lightning nodded and he sighed, "Very well, you've been a soldier for too long, it's time for you to go and enjoy life."

"I intend to," She replied. Cid nodded again, "Wait just now, I'll finish up here and then we'll deal with your resignation."

Lightning agreed and rejoined the others. Cid turned back to the crowd and addressed them again.

"As you know, Cocoon is likely to face an energy crisis in the near future; however, I have established a way to ensure that this crisis is averted. Contrary to Dysley's plans which were to invade Pulse and steal their limitless resources I intend to open up trade routes and conduct negotiations with Pulse."

There was more whispering at this, some relieved that the energy crisis would be averted, some amazed at the communication with Pulse.

"The leaders of the clans on Pulse have agreed to aid us," Cid explained when everything had quietened down again, "In return they want us to share our technology, therefore, both parties equally benefit."

He paused slightly before making his next revelation, "In order to put them at ease I have chosen two Pulsians who have lived on Cocoon to act as ambassadors, Oerba Yun Fang and Oerba Dia Vanille."

They both stepped forward smiling as the crowd cheered, knowing that, with the two of them negotiations with Pulse would be very successful. Finally Cid ended his speech and the crowd began to disperse, the group waited for Lightning however as she headed inside with Amodar and Cid.

Lightning stood before Cid and Amodar as they spoke to her about her resignation, finally she nodded and explained.

"It's as Cid said, I've been a soldier for too long, a child soldier at that." She sighed and removed the badge from her uniform that denoted her rank, "I think it's time for me to live."

They both nodded in understanding and soon her resignation was complete. Feeling relieved Lightning left the building and joined the others; she smiled at them and nodded. They all walked to their cars, hand in hand with their loved ones. Finally Hope turned to her.

"So, you really did resign?" He asked, she nodded, "That's good, right?"

"Yeah," She replied, Hope smiled wistfully, "And I was just getting used to seeing you in that uniform."

She laughed and shook her head, as did the others. Soon they reached their cars and they all gathered together.

"Well, see you guys back home," Fang replied with a smirk as she slipped her arm around Vanille's waist.

Hope nodded, "I'll drop you off home before going home myself Light."

Lightning shook her head, "Wait a minute guys, something I wanna clear up, I'm not Lightning anymore, I resigned, I put my past and the war behind me."

She smiled and kissed Hope before announcing, "From now on…Call me Claire."

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><p>End of chapter, next up is Snow and Serah's wedding, oh and from now on Lightning will be referred to as Claire, her real name. Hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


	39. The Wedding

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

Chapter 39 of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**Lightarcana: Yeah, she's Claire now, and a lot happier now too.**

**Miyaaa: That's cool, yeah I thought so, of course, especially when he has an important announcement to make, they certainly do, what's most important is it shows the strrength of their love as they don't have to be snogging each other's face off, just a simlpe small kiss to show they care.**

**jlbean: Thanks, glad you are enjoying it, actually no as this is the second last chapter, the story is nearly finished, glad you enjoyed it, thanks :)**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Chapter 39: The Wedding<strong>

It was Saturday the 2 July 3 APW, a very important day as it was the day that Snow Villiers and Serah Farron were to be married. Everything was all prepared, they would have the ceremony in Bodhum's church and then the reception would take place on the beach near the tavern where Lebreau worked. With the decorations and everything all set up that just left the bride and groom. Claire read the text from Hope; he had gone along with Gadot, Maqui and Yuj to get Snow ready, which meant she would be getting Serah ready along with the bridesmaids, Vanille, Fang and Lebreau. Claire sighed and headed to Serah's room, once inside she shook her sister awake.

"C'mon Serah, time to get up, it's the big day."

Serah was awake instantly and soon they had gotten everything ready when the others arrived.

"Hey," Lebreau greeted, Claire rolled her eyes, "About time you guys got here, we were about to start without you."

"Uh-uh, not happening," Vanille replied with a smirk, Fang nodded, "C'mon, you guys would be lost without us."

Laughing and still joking with each other the girls began to get Serah and themselves ready.

Meanwhile Hope had met up with the other guys and was heading into Snow's house. They found him awake, standing in front of the mirror; he seemed to take a deep breath and then exhale.

"Snow, everything okay?" Gadot asked, concerned.

Snow jumped and turned to face them, he smiled, "I'm fine, just can't believe today's the day."

The group smiled and soon they were getting ready and poking fun at each other. It was then however that Snow asked an important question.

"So, I know about you guys, still trying to find the right girl," He said, referring to Maqui, Yuj and Gadot, "But Hope, what about you and Li…Claire."

Everyone smiled, they were still getting used to using the real name for the elder Farron sister, except for Serah and Hope who seemed to have no problem.

"Actually yeah, I have a plan," He explained, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small jewellery box, "I'm gonna propose to her during the reception."

The other smiled widely at this and Snow laughed, "You sly dog, well, good luck."

"Thanks," Hope replied before they returned to the task at hand, getting Snow ready for _his _wedding.

Soon enough both parties travelled to the church, everyone else was there, everyone who knew the group, their families and friends, including Nora Estheim, Edna and Dajh Katzroy and, surprisingly, Noel, Yeul and Caius. Soon Snow and the guys arrived, they were surprised at the three unexpected guests but there was no time for questions as they heard that Serah had just arrived. Snow took his place at the altar with Sazh and Gadot, Hope and the other guys sad down in their seats. Meanwhile, waiting to enter, Serah began breathing heavily.

"It's okay Serah, just calm down," Claire reminded her, Serah nodded and took a deep calming breath.

The music started and slowly the bridesmaids began to enter until it was just Claire and Serah, Claire nodded encouragingly to Serah and, on cue she walked in. finally the music picked up slightly and it was Serah's cue, she walked into the church with deliberate steps. She slowly walked down the aisle towards Snow who was watching her, enchanted, she smiled and as soon as she reached him, she slowly reached out and grasped his hand as they faced Sazh. Sazh smiled and began reading the wedding vows. Everybody watched, smiling at the beauty of the ceremony, finally, Sazh came to the end.

"Do you, Snow Villiers, take this woman as your lawful wedded wife?"

"I do," Snow replied without a moment's hesitation.

"And do you, Serah Farron, take this man as your lawful wedded Husband?"

"I do," Serah replied, smiling widely.

Sazh nodded, "You may now kiss the bride."

As Serah and Snow kissed the whole church erupted in applause and in some cases wolf-whistles.

Following the ceremony the reception got under way. As the bride and groom danced soon other couples began to join. During a break in the dancing Claire turned to Caius, Noel and Yeul were dancing together.

"I've gotta admit, I was surprised to see you guys."

Caius shrugged, "Noel didn't want to miss such a happy event, Yeul decided it was time for her to leave the village for once."

Claire nodded and raised her eyebrow, urging him to continue, "I came along because I too did not want to miss such a happy event, besides, I was curious to see how you were getting on."

Claire smiled, "I've never been better, although, I don't know if you heard, I've resigned from the Guardian Corps."

Caius nodded, "Yes, I heard, you've gone back to your original name too…That's good."

Claire nodded and then finally Noel and Yeul returned.

"Hey Light, sorry, it's Claire now, isn't it?"

"Yes," She replied, Noel rubbed the back of his sheepishly as Yeul laughed.

"I did already tell you Noel," She sat between laughs.

As Noel, Caius and Yeul began talking Claire, still smiling, walked away and over to the small pier.

Claire smiled as she sat down at the edge of the pier.

'_Everything's changed so much, today, there's so much happiness you just have to take a small glance to see it,'_ She smiled as she looked back and watched Snow and Serah dancing, both of them, happy and laughing, _'Wonder if, my wedding day will be like this?'_

"Hey Claire." She smiled as Hope walked up to her, "What are you doing?"

"Just, thinking, and enjoying the view." She replied.

Hope nodded and then thought to himself, _'Now or never,'_ and decided now was the right time.

"Claire, I've got something important I need to ask you," He said suddenly, She blinked surprised and he continued, "I can't stop thinking about everything that's happened between us and, I realize, there's no one else I'd rather share my life with…"

He pulled out the box and, bending down on one knee he opened it.

"Claire Farron, will you marry me?"

Claire's eyes filled with tears as her heart almost burst with joy; she let him slip the ring over her finger as she breathed her joyous reply.

"Yes."

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><p>End of chapter, the story is almost over, all that remains is the epilogue which takes place years later, see how Lightning (now Claire) has settled into married life. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, read and review please.<p> 


	40. Epilogue: Happiness at Last

**Final Fantasy XIII: Cursed Past**

The epilogue, the final chapter, of my Final Fantasy XIII story, enjoy.

**Reviews**

**jlbean: All good things have to come to an end, this story was always planned for 40 chapters, I might make a sequel due to what is revealed in this chapter, not decided yet.**

**Beloved Nightmare Union: Thanks, yeah, this is it, although, if you read this chapter you'll see there is possibility for a sequel. BTW, did you try the strategy I mentioned for Nabaat?**

**Otaku-Entitiy: Thanks glad you enjoyed it all, I agree Barthandelus was hard but I managed to beat him on my first go. I honestly don't know but I might make a sequel, maybe.**

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy belongs to Square Enix.

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><p><strong>Epilogue: Happiness at Last<strong>

It was the year 10 APW, the now twenty-five year old Claire Estheim sat on the porch of the beachfront home she now lived in. She looked over at the beach where five year old Raijin Estheim was playing Frisbee with his uncle Snow. Raijin Estheim had inherited his father's facial features and blue-green eyes and his mother's hair colour, although thanks to a combination of her and Hope's DNA, the pink colour had a washed out appearance. His unusual hair colour was a source of embarrassment for poor Raijin and Snow teased him about it several times. Sitting not to far away, watching the game was three year old Hikari Estheim, who was sitting with her aunt Serah and her cousin Leila Villiers. Hikari had inherited her father's silver hair and mother's aqua eyes as well as her mother's facial features. Leila Villiers had fully inherited her mother's hair colour but she possessed Snow's blue eyes and his mischievousness. Claire sighed happily as her husband embraced her from behind.

"Enjoying the sun Claire?" Hope asked happily, she nodded, "C'mon, let's go join the others."

They both walked out across the beach and sat down next to Serah, Hikari reached for Hope.

"Daddy!" She called out happily; Hope smiled and picked her up.

Hope was now twenty-three and over the years he had grown, a lot, he was even taller than Lightning now at five foot eleven. Raijin and Snow came over to them; Raijin sat down next to Claire.

"Mommy, Uncle Snow was making fun of my hair again," He pouted, Claire raised an eyebrow at Snow, "What have said about this?"

"Sorry," Snow replied before everybody began laughing.

Claire smiled, Lightning was dead now and she was reborn back to the person she had been before her parents deaths, finally she had a life that was truly happy, a loving husband, two adorable kids, life was finally perfect.

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><p>End of chapter and of story, as always I get a sad but satisfied feeling when I come to the end of a story, sad because it's over but satisfied because I brought it to a successful conclusion. Hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.<p> 


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